Michael's Story After Season 1 Finale
by lindacollins78
Summary: Michael has hidden himself away from humans and angels. Shame and regret grip his soul after rage got the better of him. Can a strange woman and her young son pull him back into world? Can Michael see past his own mistakes to look to the future? Follow their adventures outside the civilized cities of The Cradle, through the post-apocalyptic world of Dominion.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

In a dilapidated farm-house in the midst of the Ozark Mountains, Michael sat with his eyes closed, attempting to meditate. He desperately searched for the serene moment so he could feel close with Father, but it eluded him. He had been at this for weeks but his mind just couldn't quiet itself nor his muscles relax. There was tension so tight in his chest that made it, at times, hard to take a full breath.

Pictures of Becca rolled through his mind. Becca staring at him, with those intelligent blue eyes, across the senate floor. Becca, always with a knowing grin, welcoming him in her arms. Her tall lithe form tangled in sheets with her hair flaming red in the sun. Michael chest tightened even more when he finally pictured her empty dead stare from the floor of House Thorn. Michael opened his eyes to try to erase the image but it stuck in his mind.

"I was a fool." Michael said to the room's rotting wallpaper. He just couldn't figure out which hurt more, Louis's death or maybe Becca's betrayal. Or could it be the fact Becca's death and that of her guards was by his own hands? If the pain of Alex's blade hadn't woke him from his rage, he could have easily killed the Chosen One.

Most wouldn't have recognized Michael from his disheveled appearance except for maybe his dust-covered uniform. Michael had been at this for weeks, only getting up for water. Dirt and grime covered his leaner face and hands. His hair was longer and looked like he had been continually running his hands through it.

Michael's head jerked to the front door as he heard a pair of light footsteps outside. He was not quite sure he would have the energy to fight off an eightball, but supposed he would try out of principle.

Three loud bangs came from the door.

"If you would like to continue breathing, I would suggest moving on." Michael said coldly toward the door.

A pleasant, almost musical, woman's voice came from the other side of the door, "Well, don't you sound just like a big ball of happy fuzzy in there." Three more bangs came.

"There is nothing of value in here. Move on."

"I wish I could, hon, but there is something of value that I need out of this dump." She said with emphasis on 'value'.

Michael's head cocked to one side, "And what would that be?"

"Oh, just an archangel that goes by the name of Michael, that's all."

In a split second, Michael was at the door jerking it open to find a woman leaning against the door jamb, picking at her fingernails with a blade. As he took a moment to take in the sight of her, she stared back at him with chocolate-brown eyes that told him she was no eightball, but a human. The mystery woman's head came to just under Michael's chin. Short brunette hair with longer bangs framed a well tanned face. Worn blue jeans on shapely legs were crisscrossed with gun and blade holsters. Her old brown leather jacket allowed a peek of another gun.

He grabbed the hand with the knife and pinned it against the building, pulling his own blade to her throat. Leaning in close to her face, "Who are you and how did you find me?"

She gave him a sad half-smile that revealed the start of dimple on her round pixie-like face. Her hand lightly touched the side of his dirty face and she whispered, "You led me here. I've felt your pain since I left Louisiana."

As his grip loosened on her wrist, Michael's normally stone face gave away to confusion. "I do not understand. Who are you? Who sent you?"

"Don't play stupid, Michael. It's not becoming of you. You can guess who sent me." She said as she quickly maneuvered herself out of Michael's reach. "My name is Lex and I'm a prophet." She walked through the front door and said over her shoulder, "He sent me to you whether I wanted to come or not."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Lex walked into the kitchen and started looking through the cabinets. Michael slowly followed her in the house, staying cautiously back.

"Of course, the house you hold up in for weeks has no supplies, whatsoever." Lex whispered to herself.

"I don't believe you." The stoic Michael said as he stood with his arms crossed.

Lex stood up from her stooped place and looked Michael in the eyes, "Believe what you want, hon. I've had dreams of you for weeks. Tried to ignore them at first. I did a pretty good job of it, up until a few days ago."

"What happened a few days ago?"

Lex shrugged her shoulders, "I got a bad feeling."

"A feeling?" Michael eyebrow arched as he asked skeptically.

"Yep. Right here." Lex put a fist against her stomach. "It felt like if I didn't get here, your pain would consume you."

Michael turned his back toward her, "What can a human know about my pain?"

"I know you tried to kill the Chosen One. I know about the redhead and the experiments at Vega. Trust me. I know a lot about pain in general, not just yours." Lex watched Michael's head sag on his shoulders. She paused and let her words hang in the silence.

After a few moments, she walked purposely toward the front door. "Enough of the heavy. We gotta go."

Lex continued out the door and left it open, as if there was no doubt that Michael would follow. Footsteps behind her told Lex that he was. Lex marched purposefully up the hilly terrain. Michael watched as she paused her momentum occasionally to check out her surroundings and then carried on.

"Where are you going?" Michael asked from behind.

"Over the next hill, my son is waiting with a car."

"You have a child outside The Cradle? That is not safe." Lex didn't look too much older than twenty-five. Michael thought she couldn't have a son very old.

"I've been just about everywhere and it's not safe anywhere."

Thinking of the last time he was with humans, Michael said "If you know my background like you say, you would know your child is not safe with me around."

"Let me be the judge of that." Lex quipped without looking back.

They marched on for a while with Lex in the lead.

Michael wings stretched out. "I could just fly us there."

Lex heard his wings flap and turned around, aggravated. "Put those away. As long you're with me, you're going travel human-style." Lex pointed toward her boots then his wings. "Those wings make you a huge target for everything from humans, eightballs or even other higher angels. You're able to defend yourself easily, but we survive by not getting noticed in the first place."

"Traveling like this will get tedious." Michael said.

"You weren't in a hurry to get anywhere stuck in that shack. Live a little."

"Alright." Michael conceded with a bow of his head. "I will attempt to live a little."

Lex wasn't sure, but she may have witnessed a small smile from the archangel.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Michael and Lex slowly approached a banged up, tan 4-door car. Lex whistled twice and they watched as a small handsome boy with a hunting rifle came out of the brush. As the boy came forward to his mother, he gave Michael a distrustful look and a wide berth. Lex's arms automatically wrapped around the boy.

"See, Bubs, I told you I'd bring back a friend. Michael meet my son, Aaron." Lex said as she kissed the top of the boy's head. He looked just like his mother, brown hair and eyes, and the very same dimples when he smiled.

"Mom, I don't like him. He's not right." Michael overheard the boy whisper to his mother.

Lex kneeled in front of the boy so that she was eye level. She straightened his collar and shirt as she spoke, "Bubby, you know why he doesn't feel right. I told you, already. Michael is an archangel, but he's not going to hurt us. He needs us."

Michael stood back silently and listened. Watching this strange woman fawn over her son warmed him, the tightness in his chest loosened slightly. _This is why I was fighting for the humans_, Michael thought. Becca's still body sprawled on the floor appeared in his mind, empty eyes staring up at him. Even though he gave no outward sign, his chest tightened back up.

"Your child is correct. It is not safe to be close to me, because as he said, I am not right."

"Horse crap." Lex deadpanned. "There is no danger of you losing your cool around me or my son." She quipped as she opened the trunk of the car and rustled a few things around.

"How can you be so sure when I am not?" Michael asked.

"I just know. Trust me."

"The last time I trusted humans, it did not turn out well."

"That is an understatement. Don't feel too bad. I'm human and even I don't trust 'em." Lex stated as she tossed a plastic bag with dried meat and an apple at Michael. He caught them both with ease and inspected the jerky. "You need the calories." Lex handed the same combination to the boy and then closed the trunk. "Hop in, we'll talk on the go."

Michael watched the boy climb into the back seat. Lex pulled open the creaking driver's door, climbed in and looked back at Michael expectantly. Michael stood statue still staring back without expression.

Lex stared back at Michael, "Hon, what do you have to lose? You can always decide later to ditch us, fly back here and resume wallowing in your own misery." After a few moments of staring, Michael started for the passenger side of the vehicle, climbed in and took a bite of his apple.

After slamming her door closed, Lex turned the ignition and after a few sputters, the engine finally roared to life. Lex drove carefully through a faint trail left in the forest. All three rode in an awkward silence for the first hour or two. Lex weaved the car slowly between trees and around brush until finally they came upon an old highway. Lex turned the old beater car west and let the car build up speed.

"May I ask where you intend on leading me?" Michael asked.

"Toward the Cradle. I'll let you know for sure when we're closer."

"I remember distinctly you mentioning that you were a prophet. Father's prophet would be sure of where to go."

"Well, before, I may have overstated my whole prophet status." Lex gave Michael her cheesiest smile, dimples and all. "I'm really not sure what I am technically. I've just been called that by a few eightballs over the years. I figured repeating it to you would cause you to listen first, smite later."

Anger glinted in Michael's black eyes. _Another human, another lie_. He thought as Louis's pained face came to mind. A very quiet click came from the backseat of the car. Unworried, Michael knew immediately that it was the safety of a rifle being turned off.

"Don't get upset, angel." Aaron said quietly from the back. "You still need her. Mom IS special. She can do things no one else can."

Michael breathed slowly through his nose, taking a moment to calm himself. "What could you have done that would cause a dog of heaven to call you out as a prophet?"

Silence from the driver's side of the car. Michael waited patiently, watching her profile as Lex drove.

"Tell him, Mom" Aaron said, putting his hand on her shoulder. Her hand immediately came up and to squeeze his. Lex looked at her son in the rearview mirror and smiled.

"I can sense angels."

"What do you mean 'sense' angels?" Michael asked.

"I mean I can find them. I know if any eightballs are nearby and how many. If I get close enough to touch one, I can kind of freeze them. I put a temporary wall between their soul and the body they stole, then they lose control. I hate to do that, though. Every time I touch one, I get bombarded with images I have to sift through. Some of them can get pretty nasty, but that's a whole other issue." Lex started fidgeting in the driver's seat, as if she were uncomfortable. "Also, when they get nearby, I can tell what they're feeling. I can sense if they're angry or excited or in pain. That's how I found you when I started looking."

"That does explain how you have survived this far outside the Cradle. I still do not understand why you would go in search of me." Michael said to the windshield.

"I also have visions. Mostly, they come in my dreams, but on a rare occasion they can come during the day." Lex glanced over at Michael. "That's how I found out about you, hon. Like I said back at that house, I've _seen_ you for weeks now."

"What have you seen?"

Lex looked at Michael with those big brown eyes and her hand left the steering wheel to lightly pat his. "I saw your life and I saw your death." Lex paused, let go of his hand, looked away and said quietly, "And then I saw the death of everyone else, angel and human."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Lex thought most people would have had something to say after her little 'death to all' revelation. She could have easily accepted an "Oh, no." or a "You're a nutcase." Even a "Bullshit" would not have surprised her much. The archangel didn't say anything. All Michael had thrown back at her was silence for the last few hours.

Lex watched him as she drove. Michael's face gave nothing away. Only her 'angel sense' let her know the worry that he felt. At least the news dampened some of the pain and regret that had been rolling off of the archangel. Lex could take comfort in that.

As she studied him, she thought about how handsome he was, even under the grime. Earlier, she had felt his attraction to her when she had innocently touched his hand and Lex had to force herself to pull away.

_Don't be silly, girl._ Lex thought as she looked toward the road. Her penchant for dangerous men had caused enough tragedy in her life and Michael was more dangerous than any human. She hadn't allowed herself interest in a man in years and wasn't about to start now.

Lex noticed an exit off the highway and took it. The car lot coming up on the left was just the thing she was searching for. She pulled into it and parked in line with the rest of the rusted abandoned cars and weeds.

"Let's go to work." Lex said to the back seat. Aaron climbed out and went to the trunk. The small boy pulled out a bucket, screwdriver and small mallet.

Michael got out as Lex was throwing the strap of the hunting rifle over her shoulder. Michael watched as Lex started checking clips in her handguns. His head tilted in a way that reminded Lex of a bird of prey.

"You said you could avoid the eightballs." Michael said.

"Oh, there are no angels here other than yourself." Lex responded. "These are for humans. I can't sense them and sometimes they're more dangerous."

"Eightballs are both faster and stronger than humans."

"Yeah." Lex said, nodding her head. "Well, an eightball most likely just wants to kill you. Out here, a group of humans can do a lot more damage."

"I have not encountered any humans outside the Cradle other than the two of you." Michael gestured toward both Lex and Aaron.

Aaron scoffed, "Angel, you probably weren't really looking. Besides, anyone that's lived this long knows how to hide from shadows in the sky."

Lex ruffled Aaron's hair as she said lightheartedly,"Hey, mouthy, you get to tapping gas tanks while I scope the area out. Stay out of sight."

Aaron grabbed his supplies and crawled under his first car. As soon as Aaron's head was out of sight and the tapping started, Lex stepped in close to Michael's chest. She grabbed his collar, stood on her toes to get close to his ear and whispered in a serious tone, "You going to stay here and kill anything that gets close to my son. No matter what he says, if things get too hairy, you're going to grab him and fly out of here. Nod your head so I know you understand."

Lex leaned back and looked straight into Michael's dark eyes, still gripping the collar of his jacket, waiting for his response. Michael's hands lightly touched both sides of her waist as he stared back with fire in his eyes. The air charged immediately between them. Time stood still as they leaned in bit closer to each other. Michael gaze fell to her lips as she licked them. Lex began to breathe heavily and Michael seemed to stop breathing altogether. His eyes moved back up to her warm brown ones. As Michael's hand softly touched Lex's face and he saw the warmth in her eyes bleed out to fear.

Lex quickly released him and stepped out of reach. Michael's arms immediately clasped together behind his back and his face went cold. As she attempted to slow her breathing, she looked up at him in silent question. Michael gave her a small quick nod.

"Be back in a bit." Lex said more calmly than she felt.

She handed Michael the handgun from her jacket holster, carefully as not to touch him. As soon as he took it, she walked away without looking back, gripping her rifle tightly.

Lex tried to will her heart to slow down as she weaved between vehicles and thought, _What the hell am I supposed to do with that?_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Michael watched Lex as she walked away. He admired the way her body moved gracefully as she maneuvered around the obstacles in her way. There was a beauty to it that held his eyes.

Michael shook his head and forced himself to look away. His self-control was truly lacking. The depth of his weakness for human women continually surprised him. Here Michael was actually entertaining an attraction to a woman after the betrayal of his precious Becca. His rage had burned through all of his careful control and turned him back into his father's sword all because of a woman. He would not allow that to happen again. He would maintain a tight rein of control on all of his emotions. It was too dangerous for everyone if he did not.

The boy scooted out from under the first car. Aaron's face changed into a look of disdain when he noticed Michael. "You should have followed Mom, angel. I'm ten now. I don't need a babysitter."

"Archangels do not babysit." Michael responded as he eyed the parking lot.

Aaron began pouring the gasoline from the bucket into a funnelled gas can. "What do you call what you're doing? It looks like babysitting to me." He scoffed.

"You are accomplishing the highly important task of acquiring fuel. That task requires you, at times, to be blind to the area around you. I am not babysitting. I am simply guarding the area because you cannot."

"That just sounds like a technicality, to me." Aaron said, grinning, as he crawled under another car.

"Sometimes, the only difference between right and wrong is a technicality." Michael quipped.

"Alright, Yoda, you win. You're not babysitting." Aaron said as tapping came from underneath the car.

"Who is Yoda?" Michael asked.

"He's from the book I've been reading. It's a good book. I'll loan it to you, if you'd like."

"You know how to read." Michael stated. "You are well spoken for a child. Where have you been educated?"

"Just my mom. She taught me to read. She's constantly salvaging books and makes me read them." Aaron said as he crawled back out. "That one's dry."

Aaron paused before he got up off the ground and squinted up at Michael. "So, what'd you do?"

"What did I do?" Michael asked as his eyebrow lifted.

"What'd you do? I know you did something bad, Mom said so." Aaron climbed to his feet.

"What did your mother say about me?"

"She said you did something bad, really bad and you need us to get past it. She said if you don't forgive yourself, something else bad will happen 'cause you won't be around to stop it. Mom just won't tell me what any of the bad stuff is. She keeps saying that we have enough crap to deal with in the now. She doesn't want me to worry about the past or bad stuff that might or might not happen in the future. So, that's why I'm asking you. What'd you do?"

Michael stood quietly, absorbing everything the boy said. After a few moments, he said. "I believe your mother has told you everything she intends for you to know."

"Freakin' figures!" Aaron stomped over to the next car and kicked the rotted tire, obviously upset.

"I would like more information about you and your mother. May I ask a few questions?" Michael asked as he followed the boy with his hands clasped behind his back.

"You can eff off." Aaron deadpanned as he gave Michael the middle finger. "Don't expect me to spill anything when you won't answer my questions."

"I offer a different type of trade, then."

"You don't have anything else I want."

Michael leaned down and with one hand grabbed the fender of the car Aaron was about to crawl under. The car creaked loudly as Michael easily lifted the front end of the car four feet off the ground. Michael smirked as Aaron's defiant face comically turned into awe. Aaron wasted no time, jumped forward and started tapping the lifted car's gas tank.

"Ask away." Aaron said without looking back at Michael.

"Have you ever been to any of the cities in the Cradle?"

"I haven't. Mom has though. She's been to all of them." Aaron backed up and Michael lowered the car.

Michael lifted the next car. "Do you and your mother travel a lot?"

Tap, tap, tap. "Crap, another dry one" Aaron backed up again. "Yeah, we've been all over. Old New York, down the east coast and all the way to the Gulf of Mexico."

Another car lifted into the air. "Have you come across other humans in your travels?"

Tap, Tap, Tap. "Empty." Aaron got out of car's way as Michael lowered it. They both moved on to the next car. "Every once in a while. We try to avoid it, if we can. You never know who's gonna try to hurt you or rip you off."

Michael lifted another one. "Where is your father?" Michael thought he shouldn't ask but was very curious.

Tap, tap, tap. "Never met him. He was killed before I was born. Mom always says he was a hero because he died so that she could live."

Michael was still holding the car up when he thought heard something in the distance. His head tilted to the side so he could hear better.

"Come out of there." Michael's tone serious.

"Hang on, this is a good one."

"Aaron, we are not alone." Michael said as his spare hand slid a sword out of it's hilt.

That is when a gunshot rang out across the sea of cars.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Lex ejected the spent shell from the rifle. She was on the roof of a building watching over Michael and Aaron. A group of men were moving pretty stealthy through the vehicles toward the boys. At first, she thought that the group may miss them, but everyone heard Michael pick up that car. Their group immediately turned toward the boys after that.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Lex whispered to herself as she looked through the scope of the rifle. Lex slapped the roof hard enough to sting her hand. She could kill them both herself. Michael for picking up the damn car and Aaron because she knew well enough that it was either his idea or he encouraged it. Lex watched as Michael put the car down and already had a sword out. Michael then turned, looked right at her and nodded. Michael had a hand on Aaron's shoulder and he was leading the boy away from the intruders.

Lex then turned the scope toward the group of humans. They were still crouched down from her warning shot, trying to find where it came from. She counted five. Too many to fight without risking major injury. Her best bet was to scare them off. Her rifle pointed at the closest one to the her boys. He was a tall black man with a scar running down his cheek and a gun in his hands. With the way he moved and directed the others, Lex pegged him for the leader. The big question was whether an injury would be enough to send them packing or should she just kill him outright.

A scuffle noise caused Lex to look behind her and instantly rolled to the left to miss a baseball bat swing . A bald, thick-armed white man swung the bat back and forth and he grinned wide at her. "This'll be fun." He said as he licked his lips.

Lex jumped to her feet, pulled an asp from her boot leg and slung it to full extension. "Yes, it will." Lex responded. The eager man had about eighty pounds on Lex. She would have to end this quickly or Lex was going to get hurt.

Eager Beaver lunged forward, and instead of swinging the bat again he tried to grab at the asp. Sometimes, men were just plain stupid when it came to fighting women. Lex sidestepped him and stab the bottom of the asp on his ear, hard, which caused him to let go of her and grab the blood blister that was left of his ear.

Lex wasn't quite fast enough to duck below the bat coming at her, but she did reduce the damage to a glancing blow to her shoulder and head. Lex's pained head was rewarded with a loud crack that reverberated on the roof when she let loose a full swing to the side of his kneecap. Next, was a good old-fashioned kick to the family jewels with her steel toed boot. She finished with a well placed knee to the chin while he was still grabbing his nuts. Eager Beaver was out cold.

Lex picked the rifle back up and hurriedly looked through the scope, desperately looking for the boys. She found Michael, a small grin on his face, surrounded by men with guns. There was no sign of her son. Lex released a breath in relief when she counted five men around Michael. Most likely, Aaron was hid out of sight somewhere.

The leader spoke while he had a gun pointed at Michael's head. Michael turned toward Lex, winked and then all hell broke loose. It was difficult for Lex to track all of Michael's movements because he was so fast. Just a blur of arms and wings was all she could see and multiple gun fire was all she could hear.

Lex noticed one man was not in the fight. Michael, distracted by kicking the shit out of the other guys, didn't notice what the last one was up to. The man dropped to his knees and was reaching underneath a car. He started yanking hard on something and Lex saw it was Aaron. Lex didn't even have time to think. Her finger automatically pulled the trigger. The man's head slung backward and his whole body followed. He didn't get back up.

Then, Michael was done. Four men were down, bleeding but still alive. The whole fight lasted less than a minute. Lex watched as Michael, with his intimidating wings out, picked up the black guy by his shirt and said something to him. The leader desperately nodded his head and then Michael set him back down. He then stepped over the body Lex had left and held a hand out to Aaron. Michael said something to Aaron and then Lex witnessed her son jump into the archangel's arms. Michael's wings majestically took to the air and the pair flew directly to her roof. Michael released Aaron as soon as he landed. Lex ran straight to her son and hugged him.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?" Lex bombarded Aaron as she ran her hands up and down, checking for injuries.

"Mom, that was the coolest thing I've ever seen! Did you see Michael? He was awesome!" Aaron ignored Lex's questions, obviously excited. "His wings were everywhere! Bam, Bam! And did you see me flying? That was awesome!"

Lex hugged her son even tighter and stared straight into Michael's eyes. She silently mouthed '_Thank You_' at him and Michael's eyes warmed as his head tilted in a _you are welcome_ nod.

Eager Beaver moaned a bit, catching Michael's attention. Michael stepped over and nudged Eager Beaver over on his back with his boot. He looked at him pretty closely then looked back at Lex with a quizzical lift of an eyebrow. Lex just gave Michael a shrug and thought, _No, I don't know how the big man came to bleed on floor._

"I should fly us back to the car. A hasty exit seems prudent." Michael said.

"Woo hoo, I get to fly again!" Aaron hollered as he squirmed out of his mother's arms and ran toward Michael. Michael waited with a palm held out to Lex.

Lex shook her head at Michael's offer, "You two go on without me. I can get to the car on my own feet, thank you."

"Suit yourself." Aaron said. "Let's go, Michael."

Michael gave her one more look with that eyebrow up in question. Lex waved him on. Michael picked up his new cheerleader and took off toward the car.

When they were out of sight, Lex grabbed the side of her head. _Shit, that is tender._ She thought as she walked down the steps. She felt tremors starting in her hands. When she got down to the bottom floor, she took a seat on the bottom step. She knew the adrenaline shakes were starting.

Lex had killed a man . . again. Her whole body shook violently, making it hard to breath. Lex gripped the handrail hard, gritted her teeth and rode them out. After several minutes, the her body's shudders started slowing down. When they had finally stopped, Lex stood up and wiped the tears from her face with her shirt sleeves. Her head still hurt and she felt weak but she was good enough to face the boys. Lex hit the door of the emergency exit and stepped outside.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Michael watched Aaron pour the salvaged fuel into the gas tank.

"Can we go flying again when I'm done?" Aaron asked.

"We will wait for your mother." Michael said as he stood statue-like with his hands behind his back. He was disappointed that Lex had refused his offer but reminded himself that nothing good could come out of getting closer to the woman.

He did not miss the fact that she had killed a man, either. During the battle, Michael had heard the boy screaming from his hiding spot. Michael was, in fact, a split second from abandoning his decision to leave the humans alive so that he could rescue Aaron. That was when he witnessed the human take a bullet to the head.

The leader had known he was an angel and had offered a trade to Michael for the woman and boy. Michael had not let the man finish speaking to find out what he had to offer. Michael made his own counter offer when the battle was over. The leader eagerly agreed to stay clear of Lex and Aaron or Michael would simply hunt them down.

Michael turned his head toward the sound of Lex's footsteps. Michael watched her closely. Her skin was paler than normal and he could see her exhaustion as her feet dragged slightly.

"Bubs, time to go." Lex said to Aaron and pointed to the backseat of the car. Aaron's face filled with concern as he got an eyeful of his mother but he did as she asked silently. He gave a meaningful look to Michael as he climbed in. Michael got in the passenger side after Lex claimed the driver's seat.

Lex started the car and pulled out. Michael continued to study Lex as she drove. He took note of the redness of her eyes, the tightness in her shoulders and her hard grip of the steering wheel.

"There is something wrong with you." Michael stated.

"I'm fine. I just need some rest."

"I am able to drive. I can relieve you so you are able to rest."

"No offense, but I kind of have control issues. I wouldn't be able to sleep while you drove." Lex said to the windshield.

"Then we must pullover so you may rest."

"Well, beforehand, I'm going to get some miles between us and that car lot." Lex snipped.

"Sunset is a couple of hours from now. You will find a place to shelter before dark." Michael ordered.

"I think the angel's got a point, Mom." Aaron quickly added from the backseat.

"Ok," Lex sighed as she rubbed her head. "Before dark."

As Michael continued to watch her, Lex did not look at him once. Lex was one of a handful of humans that held no fear to look him in eye. Michael had grown accustomed to it. Without it, he felt odd.

Lex took several turns, veering the car further and further away from the highway. Michael could tell they were headed in a downhill direction. Finally, Lex pulled off the road to what looked like an old cabin.

"Is that a lake down there?" Aaron asked, looking out the window. "Can we go swimming?"

"It's already too close to dark. You will in the morning. . .With soap and lots of scrubbing."

"Ah, Mom."

"Don't feel bad, Bubs. We all stink, so we all get a bath." Lex said to the rearview mirror.

Lex pulled the car in front of the cabin, out of sight from the road. Lex turned to Michael, to his relief, looked him in the eyes. "Alright, Smarty Pants, like you said we're going to crash here, tonight. First, I am going to get out and check the place out. You _will_ stay in the car with Aaron until I come back. While I'm gone you _will not_ pick up any cars, or whip out the wings, or do anything else that will give yourself away as an angel. This way, if I do run into any humans, it won't be guns blazing first. Are we clear?"

"There are no humans in the immediate area." Michael stated, face emotionless. "I would hear them."

"Humor me, Archangel."

"Very well." Michael said with a nod. He would humor the woman because Michael knew she would not rest without checking the grounds herself. Lex climbed out, silently closed the door and took off.

Michael heard laughter coming from the back seat. Michael turned to look and found Aaron smiling big with dimples showing. "What do you find so funny?"

"I know you said archangels don't babysit." Aaron said laughing. "But, it sounds like my Mom thinks that archangels are the ones that need a babysitter."

"It certainly does sound like that, does it not?" Michael said with a smile of his own. It was getting harder to stay stone faced around the young man. The fondness Michael felt for Aaron just seemed to be growing with leaps and bounds. That fact worried him considering they had not been traveling together for even twenty-four hours.

The children of Vega always steered clear of Michael due to protocol and fear. Aaron had none of those inhibitions. Even as he watched over Alex growing up, Michael had not allowed himself interactions such as these. Any closeness would have given the Chosen One away to their enemies, so Michael had kept his distance from Alex.

Alex's face came to mind. _You've gone too far._ Michael remembered Alex had said those words as he held his sword with Michael's blood on the tip. Alex's eyes were so full of pain and distrust. _After all you've taught me, it ends like this?_ The pain from the memory of that night rolled through Michael's chest and caught his breath. Michael closed his eyes to the tears that threatened and gripped the dash of the car to try to keep himself grounded. There was so much regret in his heart, Michael didn't know how he could move on from this.

Michael felt a small hand on his shoulder. Some of the tension in his chest eased. He looked back at the boy, surprised to gaze into a big pair of brown eyes that were full of acceptance and love.

"It'll be ok." Aaron said quietly. "You just wait. It'll all be ok."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Lex was almost knocked to her knees by the wave of pain and regret that came from Michael. The intensity caught her breath and wore on her already exhausted body. Time and close proximity to the archangel was causing her mind to pick up on his emotions more clearly.

After a thorough search of the area, Lex approached the vehicle silently. She stood and watched her son comfort the angel. Tears came to her eyes when she felt how powerfully grateful Michael was. Lex continue to watch as the two spoke quietly. Michael head suddenly cocked toward her in that bird like was of his.

"Alright, boys. Time to get settled." Lex said loudly. Lex opened the trunk and pulled out their night gear. Michael came around the car just in time to catch the large sleeping bag Lex tossed him. His eyebrow arched at her.

"Yes, that is yours to use. Don't ask how I knew we'd need a third. I'll explain later when I'm not so tired."

"You have my thanks, regardless. It has been a while since someone has been concerned over my well-being."

Lex nodded her head as she grabbed a towel and clean clothes out of duffel bag. Lex looked over at Aaron, "I'll be back in a short while, I'd like to get clean before the sun sets. You and Michael get your fill of what's left of the food." Lex held her hand up before Aaron could interrupt. "Don't worry, Son. I'll eat what's left when I get back. We'll go hunting, tomorrow."

Lex left before she could hear any objections and headed down to the lake. Once alone, Lex gritted her teeth and hissed as she took of her jacket and shirt. She inspected the bruise blooming on her shoulder and back from the fight earlier. It was already a deep purple with spots of green and blue through out. Lex thought she would have considered it pretty if it didn't hurt so damn much.

Lex stretched her toes in surprisingly smooth sand and continued to strip naked. Lex tried to ignore the scars that marked her body. Once done undressing, she walked slowly into the lake, hissing again. _Damn, that's cold! _All her muscles cramped as the cold seeped in. As her body adjusted to the temperature, Lex listened to the quiet surround her and closed her eyes. All that disturbed the silence were her own splashes from her leisurely backstroke. Lex couldn't seem to relax totally. The fight earlier in the day weighed on her mind. Lex finally gave up and climbed out of the water. She dressed in a white sports bra and boy shorts.

With the air chilly on her damp skin and soft sand in her toes, Lex started a routine of moves she had learned from her short stay at 'The Camp'. Her muscles stretched in controlled moves of yoga mixed with tai-chi. Time passed silently, Lex's breathing relaxed, skin dried and muscles warmed. Lex repeated the routine even as the sun started setting.

Lex continued her movements even when she felt Michael's presence watching her. She never heard him approach, but that didn't surprise her.

"Can I help you with something, archangel?"

"No, I am just enjoying the view."

Lex's head whip around to Michael and her quick rebuke stuck in her throat. Michael stood before her in all his glory, wearing nothing but a pair of pants sitting low on his hips. Lex was jealous of the unmarked smooth skin that covered the lean muscles on his chest. She resented those dark eyes smoldering at her. With his hands held behind his back and a confident smirk on his face, Michael took a step in her direction. _Even his bare feet are sexy_, she thought.

"You have a graceful form. It reminds me of my own sword routine." Michael complimented, as if she had danced just for him.

"You are disturbing me." Lex briefly pictured tasting that smooth skin on his chest, then shook her head.

"My apologies." Michael didn't make a move to leave.

"I was trying to get some peace out here." Lex said, her irritation leaking into her voice.

"That may be difficult with the battle from earlier today." Michael said calmly.

"What are you implying?" Lex asked, feeling irritation morph into anger.

"You did kill a man, today. I am simply implying that might be upsetting to some people."

"I'm not 'some people'." She snipped. "I don't regret it, if that's what you're asking. I would do it again in a heartbeat if there was a chance my son could get hurt."

"Oh, I do not doubt that." Michael snipped back. His lip curled as he said, "My apologies, again. I do not want to give the impression that I was judging you."

Lex did not believe his sincerity for a second. "Good, because you, of all people, have no room to judge me."

"And what do you mean by that?" Michael took a step toward her threateningly, hands still held behind his back.

"I meant exactly what I said, Archangel." Lex took her own step closer to Michael. Her voice got louder with every word she spoke,"You have no room to judge me. With the multitudes of bodies that you've left in your wake, you keep searching for redemption and you are still no closer to it today than you were a thousand years ago."

"What could you possibly know about the redemption I seek?!" Michael shouted in her face.

"I know _everything_ about it!" Lex screamed back. Lex's brown eyes began to fog to a white opaque color and her hands trembled.

"And I'm going to show you." She said softly.

To his surprise, Lex grabbed Michael's face with both hands. His whole body jerked as if he had been electrocuted and then Michael fell to his knees in front of Lex, wings bursting forth. He looked as if he were worshipping her as the muscles though Michael's chest, neck and arms strained. Lex continued to hold on to his face with both hands as his own dark eyes faded to white, the same as hers.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Michael floated to consciousness slowly, but still kept his eyes closed. He heard nothing, not even his own breathing or heartbeat. He assumed most would find this emptiness disconcerting, but not Michael. It was a pleasurable reminder of better times. The closeness he felt when it was just him and his brother in the nothing. At no other time in his life did he feel less lonely than that early time with Gabriel.

_Open your eyes slowly, hon._ A female voice said.

Michael's felt irritation at that voice for interrupting his reminiscing. Awareness started creeping into his mind. He remembered he was angry with someone. _Who?_ It was the human woman. Yes, that was it. Michael also recalled Lex at the lake. How her body had him enthralled. The way she moved on the sand was intoxicating. He was caught off guard at the scars scattered around her body, but that just added to beauty and mystery of her dance.

She was angry at him. That was it, she was angry at his interruption. He had allowed himself to be baited by her into an argument. He had lost his temper. Then she had, then she had . . .

_Then she brought your ass, here._ The voice said again.

Michael's eyes flew open and he was immediately felt disoriented. He was confused at what he saw. Black nothingness surrounded him. Instead of his uniform from Vega, Michael was wearing his armor from many, many years ago, back when he had been Father's sword. His hair was well past his chin. Michael looked at his hands as they opened and closed, dripping red with blood. He rubbed them together, trying to wipe the blood off. Panic started to grip him as he continued until he was rubbing frantically, to no avail. A smaller more delicate hand, with the wrist raw and bleeding, laid on top of his and stopped him.

_I said open your eyes slowly for a reason. This place takes getting used to. It can drive you crazy if you let it._

He followed the small injured wrist up to a face younger than the Lex he knew. This was not a woman but a child of maybe fifteen or sixteen. Her hair was longer, past her waist, tangled and greasy. Lex's face had been clearly beaten. One eye was black and swollen shut, the other held none of the warmth he had become accustomed to. Her nose had bled and her lip split. Thin legs and arms were dotted with cuts and bruises. There were choking marks around her delicate neck and all she wore was a white gown, smeared with blood and dirt, that almost reached her knees.

Michael felt another round of panic at the sight of Lex. He went to grab Lex and pull her into his arms, but he couldn't bring himself to touch her with his own blood smothered hands.

_Calm down, Michael. Everything is fine. Listen to my voice. I wouldn't lie to you, Hon. Everything is ok._ Lex tried to soothe him.

_I don't understand. Why do we look like this? What is this place?_ Michael tried to force himself to relax.

_This place doesn't allow any of the fantasy or lies we tell ourselves. You appear how you truly see yourself. It's hard, I know, but just think it of as a costume. That's how I try to look at it._

_What happened to you?_

_That's a story for a different time. We're here for you not me._

_Where are we?_ Michael realized that they were not actually speaking out loud.

_I've heard a lot of different names for it. I've heard it called The In-between, The Drift, or even The Inside. I seem to be special because I haven't ever seen any other humans here just angels. This is where I bring the eightballs to kind of freeze them on the outside. My visions happen here, also._

Michael felt their world start to turn slowly. The blackness around them faded to a bright sunny desert. As Michael looked around, he recognized where they were immediately. Where his brother and sister had caught up with him and left him beaten over the massacre he had left in his wake.

_Why are we here?_ As Michael asked, bodies started flowing up from the sand surrounding them. Hundreds of mangled bodies, humans Michael knew he had killed. Lex stepped up and her small delicate hand reached up and held his massive bloody one. Michael looked at their hands holding each other, glad for Lex's presence but ashamed that she had to witness his crimes.

_The In-between always shows what it thinks you need to see, whether you want to or not. Don't worry, hon. This isn't anything I haven't seen before. L_ex tilted her head up at Michael and smiled, split lip and all._ Weren't we screaming something about seeking redemption, earlier?_

_Yes, we were._ Michael smiled sadly back. _For my many crimes against humanity. I have done my best to save you humans, but there are days that I do not think I can ever be redeemed. My rage knows no boundaries. I have murdered more humans, made more mistakes. I fear my Father won't ever be able to forgive me for my transgressions._

The world started to spin until they came upon a large full-length mirror standing up in the desert in front of Michael. In the mirror, Michael saw himself, his long hair, face and armor blood spattered.

_Why did you try to kill us?_

_Because, I was ordered to by Father. He said He needed retribution and I wanted to meet His every need. _Michael said as he stared into the mirror. His mirror self smiled maniacally back at him. Michael knew that wasn't the only reason._ Because, I enjoyed it. The screaming and the carnage made me feel whole. I was addicted to the killing and was totally out of control._

_Why did you try to save us?_

_Because, I realized what I did was wrong. Humans do deserve mercy. Because, I had failed Father's test and wanted to be worthy of his forgiveness._ Michael turned and looked at Lex with eyes full of tears still waiting to fall. _Because, I came to love you as He did._

Michael closed his eyes, sending tears to trail down his cheeks. When he opened them again, the desert, the mirror and the bodies were gone. On a wall in front of them, were hundreds of picture frames, all with images of Michael in them, not a one the same. All were pictures of him in different eras of his long, long life.

_What does this mean?_ Michael asked.

_Maybe, you're looking in the wrong direction for forgiveness._ Lex said.

Behind them came a male voice. _Lexus, baby, you worry too much. We're just gonna party for a little while and then we'll be on our way._

Michael immediately turned around, toward the voice, and was surprised at how the scene had changed. It was night-time and crickets were singing loudly. There was a young handsome man leading Lex in a pretty white dress though the door of a trailer house. Lex smiled shyly at the man, beautiful in her innocence and youth, as she followed him inside.

_Oh, hell no, you're not showing him this!_ Lex said to the sky. She grabbed Michael's face again with both hands. He noticed her hands and arms now were dripping with new bright red blood as was her dress. The last thing he heard was a young girl's desperate scream and then nothingness swallowed him once again.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Lex opened her eyes to Michael's face in her hands, his pupils opaque. The diminishing sunset barely glowed, letting Lex know that they had only been gone a moment or two in the real world. Michael was still on his knees in front of her, arms extended on either side of her with his palms up. His gorgeous wings fully extended out his back, an impressive sight by itself. Michael's lips were open in what was probably shock. Her thumb traced his full bottom lip. He was so handsome and it had been so very long since she had been drawn to any man.

On impulse, as she still held his face, Lex leaned down and feather lite, kissed his lips. Delicately, uncertainly, Lex moved her lips against his. When Michael's lips responded to hers, her breath caught. Lex felt heat build as their lips continued to leisurely explore one another.

Lex finally leaned back and looked down at him. "Michael." She whispered.

Clear dark eyes gazed up at her and Lex could see the fire burning in them. Michael's hands came up and lightly touched the bare skin on each side of her waist. Lightning sparked as though a circuit was completed with Michael's touch. Careful control snapped and their lips smashed together. Their need for each other was palpable. Overwhelmed, Lex couldn't think anymore, could only feel. Eyes closed, she felt Michael gripping her against him, hands sliding up her back, pulling her down to him. As she held on to his neck, their kiss deepened and his wings ruffled. Michael's lips left her's to taste the skin down her throat. Lex leaned back, extending her neck, barely able to hang on. Michael took full advantage, leaning over her, holding her prisoner, wings looming over them both. His lips followed the line to where her neck met her shoulder and caused Lex to moan.

Just when the burning in her body was becoming unbearable, Lex heard cruel laughter in the back of her mind. She knew it wasn't real.

She tried to block it out.

She tried to stay in the moment.

The heat left her, just the same, leaving behind a chill and emptiness that made her want to cry. Michael pulled her upright, immediately noticing the change in her. He leaned his forehead against hers, keeping her close in his arms, as they both caught their breath.

"I'm sorry." Lex whispered and her hands moved to palm his smooth muscular chest. She gently pushed at him and Michael released her. She rose, walked away and started putting a shirt on over her sports bra.

"I am not." Michael, still on his knees, said to her back.

"I'm sorry." She repeated. "I didn't mean for that to happen." Lex continued to button her shirt without looking at Michael. She could feel desperation wanting to take over, but she would not allow it. She would not allow any weakness. As long as she didn't look into those eyes of his, she could be strong. "I'm sorry, I don't think I will ever be able to give you the kind of closeness your asking for. It's just not in me anymore."

"Yes, it is, Lexus. I felt it."

Lex paused a moment as she was putting her jeans back on and savored how Michael said her full name. It sounded so good coming out of his mouth. It almost tipped the battle she fought against the tears that still threatened. "I've seen the many, many women in your long life, archangel. You'll easily find another."

"You are the one I want." He said.

Lex could feel him standing close behind her. Lex jerked on her boots, then said, "I'm sorry. I know that you want me, archangel. I can feel it every damn time I'm around you."

"If you are telling me you do not feel the same, then you are lying to us both." Michael's voice came from right behind her.

"Whether I feel the same or not makes no difference." Desolation creeped into Lex's voice. "That part of me is broken and won't be fixed anytime soon. Why put yourself through that?"

Lex felt a large warm hand lightly palm her lower back. She could feel his breath against her ear when Michael whispered lightly, "Because, Lexus, I believe you are worth it."

She closed her eyes, barely managing to hold back the tears. She took a second to steel herself, to gain control over her emotions. Lex handed her towel to Michael, staring up at the cabin and with a steady voice, whispered back, "I'm sorry, but the great archangel Michael can't save us all."

Lex walked away without looking back at Michael . . . again.

She headed up the hill, back to the cabin. With every step she took, Lex's exhaustion weighed on her. She opened the door of the cabin and found Aaron curled up on his bedding, fast asleep, lightly snoring. Lex skipped grabbing her own bedding or the food that was left for her. Always grateful to see that he was ok, Lex layed down next to Aaron. Leaning over him, she moved his hair and kissed him on the cheek. She used her own arm as a pillow and curled protectively around her son.

Lex thought about what kind of relationship she would have with the archangel from this moment forward. She would care for Michael. She would fight for Michael. There would be nothing else between them.

Lex listened to Aaron's steady breathing and she started to doze off. Right before sleep claimed her, Lex decided there could only be room in her heart for the boy snoring next to her.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Michael woke with a start. He was being summoned. Gabriel was summoning him. Michael felt it throughout his skin, Gabriel's summons to Colorado. What could his brother possibly want? Gabriel had won. His goal of alienating Michael from the people of Vega was accomplished. Alex had lost faith in him. Gabriel had the Chosen One and could study their Father's last message at his own leisure.

Michael looked over at his new human companions. Lex slept, curled around Aaron, while the boy's body sprawled in every which direction. It amazed him how one small child could take up so much room while sleeping. Michael gingerly placed another blanket over them both, careful as not to wake them.

No, Michael would not be going to Colorado. He had a new responsibility to follow this prophet his Father had put in his path and her son. Part of his decision had to do with the growing obsession Michael had with Lex. He had known her only one full day and Michael realized that Lex knew everything there was to know about him and his past. There was nothing to tell her that needed sugar-coating or omitting. She already knew it all and that knowledge was liberating.

It still amazed him that, at her young age, Lex had watched his whole life. Lex had actually gone in search of him and had not run screaming from him. Well, she had run from him, but because of her own demons, not because of his. Michael was not deterred by her rejection. He had patience. He would bide his time until she was ready. Unlike Lex, Michael knew she could heal from whatever trauma that befell her when she was young. Michael had faith.

Michael decided to go outside and let his two humans sleep. Last night, Michael had bathed and washed his uniform at the lake. He had left his clothes out to dry. Participating in such routine chores felt good to Michael. His outlook this morning seemed to more positive than it had been in weeks.

While wearing nothing but his uniform pants, Michael stepped quietly outside the cabin. Once outside with a sword, Michael crouched down and balanced on the balls of his feet. He slowly and precisely moved though every calculated position of a routine of his own creation. The purpose was not to practice fighting moves. Over the eons, the sword movements were second nature to him. The purpose of his dance was strengthening his core and centering himself. Slow tension building movements followed by quick releases. As he moved, a small smile appeared as Michael pictured Lex's own intoxicating dance. He could only hope he would be able to catch sight of that again.

The cabin door opened quietly, then closed again. There Aaron stood, a morning mess, hair sticking up everywhere. He rubbed his eyes and yawned big enough to crack a jaw. When he was done, he smacked his lips together comically. "Whatcha doing?"

"Enjoying the morning light." Michael responded, moving though another set of crouched positions with the sword.

"Whoa, is that a sword? Cool!" Aaron ran to Michael with an enthusiastic look on his face. "Can you teach me how to fight like you, with a sword?" Aaron started stabbing around with an imaginary sword making swooshing sounds with his mouth.

"I can, but only if you complete whatever your mother normally has you do in the morning." Michael said as he stopped. He knew there must be something. Aaron immediately ran off to the car and pulled a toothbrush and toothpaste out of the trunk. The boy started brushing vigorously, spit and brushed again, obviously in a hurry. When he was done, he took a swig of water from a jug, swished it then spit again. He took a moment to take a couple of swallows of the water then put everything away.

While Aaron was busy, Michael found two appropriately long sticks. The boy came running back. The energy the small boy had just after waking, amazed Michael. Michael handed a stick to Aaron. "You ready, Sir?"

"Yeah!" Aaron immediate crouched with the stick pointing at Michael his arm behind him high in the air, attempting to mimic Michael. A peculiar look came over Aaron's face. "No, wait."

Aaron handed the stick back to Michael and ran off toward the woods. "I'll be back, I gotta pee!" Aaron shouted as he ran.

Michael could do nothing but shake his head while he waited.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Lex was running. She wasn't sure why, but she was running like her life depended on it. Lex knew she was in The In-Between and she knew it was showing her something about the future. Lex just hated when it was so cryptic, taking it's time to let her know what the hell was going on. From experience, she knew waiting it out was her only option.

Lex looked around at the images rushing by her, trying to decipher anything. Wings upon wings rushed by her, ruffling her hair, as she ran. The bright sun then blinded her as the multitude of wings parted in front of her. All she could see through the glare was a shadow of an angel taking flight. Lex started pumping her legs as hard as she could when she realized what the angel was dragging along with it. A small shadow set of legs kicking, swung in front of her, just out of her reach. Lex could hear her son screaming, trying to get loose.

_NOOOOOOOOO! _Lex screamed. Jumping for the small shoe that came into focus. Her fingers barely scraped the soul of the shoe, unable to find purchase. Lex continued to run, chasing the shadow as it disappeared in the glare of the sun.

Lex started to hyperventilate as panic gripped her whole body. Tears ran down her face as she landed on her knees when her legs gave out.

The world started to twist around Lex. As it turned, an image of herself appeared before Lex. She was in the same position, on her knees with the same tears running down her face. The same scene in front her, the angel carrying her son away, kicking and screaming. The difference was the look on Lex's face though the tears. There was no panic on her face but a very grateful smile.

* * *

Lex woke with a start, covered in sweat. She was alone in the cabin. Panic started to grip her as she searched the room for her son to no avail. Lex bolted to her feet and ran for the door. She came to a hurried stop when she spotted them down at the shore of the lake.

Her body immediately eased at the scene before her. Michael and Aaron sitting in front of a fire, eating a roasted critter of some sort, chatting easily back and forth. Aaron was smiling, hands animating though the air as he talked to the archangel. Michael seemed at ease, as though he might actually be enjoying himself. Michael cocked his head toward her and said something to Aaron as she walked down the hill toward them.

"We saved you some, Mom." Aaron said, eagerly handing her some meat.

Lex looked up at the sun, high in the sky. "Why did you let me sleep the day away, Bubs? It's got to be close to noon or better."

"Michael said we should let you rest." Aaron said.

"You were quite exhausted yesterday. You needed the sleep." Michael said looking up at her.

"Well, I appreciate it, but I'm not all that delica . . ." Lex's breath caught mid sentence. She closed her eyes to try to balance against the bombardment of sensations she was feeling. She felt a very large presence headed in their direction.

"Aaron, grab what you can and get to the car." Lex ordered then turned to Michael. "We gotta a whole lot of eightballs headed straight for us."

Lex started running back up the hill toward the cabin, dragging Aaron along with her. Michael appeared, wings out. He grabbed the boy and flew him to the car.

"How many?" Michael asked as he helped throw things into the trunk.

"I don't for sure, but a lot. I'll be able to tell when they get closer. I can feel them, though. A few of them are excited, but a lot of them are scared." Lex looked up at Michael as she realized what that meant. A grim look washed over her face. "They're after you. Why else would an eightball be scared? How do they know you're here?"

"Gabriel tried to summon me early this morning. Since I didn't respond, he would know where to find me." Michael said quietly, face giving no emotion away.

"Well, you're going to have to fly and meet them." Lex stated. "If they are Gabriel's, there is a chance he could see what I can do." Lex slammed the trunk closed. "I can't allow that to happen."

"We should help fight, Mom." Aaron said "We can't just leave Michael alone."

"Yes we can and we will." Lex said harshly back. There was no question in Lex's mind who was of more importance to her, who she was willing to risk and who she wasn't. "Get in the car."

"No!" Aaron shouted at her. "We are not going to abandon him."

"Your mother is right." Michael interrupted. "If your mother's talents are discovered, you both will be in danger. If I go meet them alone, likely there will be no fight at all."

"See, even the angel agrees with me. Get in the car." Lex repeated as she held the passenger door open. Aaron stared at Michael for a moment then grudgingly climbed in the car. Lex slammed the car door shut then walked up close to Michael.

"They're headed here from the north. Gabriel sent plenty enough to take you down, I think. If it looks like a fight, slaughter a couple as viciously as you can. Make a show of it and I'm sure several of them will run. They're pretty frightened already."

"I appreciate your advice, but I do not foresee a battle. My brother already has triumphed in his eyes. He must need something from me. Gabriel just tends toward showing off a bit. That must be why he would send such a force."

"Regardless, be careful." Lex said, fiddling with Michael's jacket, avoiding his eyes. "We're going to head due west toward Tulsa. You should be able to track back to us later on, if that's what you're inclined to do."

"I just might be so inclined." Michael said quietly, catching her hand on his jacket, with his own. He lifted her head with a light hand under her chin. As she met those dark eyes, warmth and understanding stared back. "No matter the outcome, Lexus, do not feel guilty. I would do the same if I were in your position."

Lex gave him a short nod, feeling a bit guilty anyway. Michael stepped back as his wings came forth. Lex's hair and jacket rustled from Michael's take off. Lex didn't waste any time jumping in the driver's seat. Once the car started, Lex and Aaron were barreling down the road. Urgency filled Lex's every thought. They had to get away before the angels noticed them. She just had a bad feeling that they were already too late.

"Get the bag of clips from the back seat, we might need them."

The angry and bitter look on Aaron's face gave way to real fear. He did what his mother told him. As Lex turned the car back on the highway, she held her boy with one arm. Building up speed, she turned toward her son and grabbed him in a hug. "You know I love you, right?"

"I love you, too, Mom." Aaron said as he hugged her back.

Lex held Aaron close to her while she concentrated on keeping tabs on Michael. It was getting harder as they moved further away from each other, but she did know when Michael met up with the lower angels. She felt his anger and aggravation. As she drove, she suddenly felt a new presence following them high in the sky. Actually, now that she wasn't trying to concentrate on Michael, she felt four eightballs following them.

"Shit." Lex said whispered through gritted teeth. "Get down, we got four of them coming." Lex said to Aaron as she pushed him into the floorboard of the car. Aaron pulled a small handgun out of the bag he grabbed as Lex pulled her gun out of her jacket holster. She was proud of her son's determination.

"Once they go for the roof, fill it full of holes." Lex told her son as the angels were getting closer.

"We got this." Aaron said bravely. Lex thought he said it more to himself than to her and she was ok with that. If she could go back in time, her son would never be in this car.

The whole car shook and veered on the road as an eightball landed on the roof. The sound of metal tearing filled the car followed by the recoil of gunshots from Aaron's gun as he shot through the roof. Screaming could be heard through the holes in the roof.

Lex threw the steering wheel to the left and slammed on the brake, in hopes of slinging the angel off the roof. New claw tears ran through the roof to the passenger side as the angel hung on as it slid, never losing it's grip. As the car slid to a stop, the angel peeled the roof back on the passenger side. The car reverberated with more gunshots as Aaron let loose another clip. When the gunshots stopped, a female eightball stuck it's head through the hole that it had made, growling between razor teeth at Aaron.

"You gonna pay for that." The eightball hissed at the boy.

Lex put her gun barrel against the angel's temple. "Then this ought to be pretty expensive." She said as she pulled the trigger. The head bobbed up out the hole in the roof and the dead angel rolled off the car.

"You ok?" Lex said quietly to Aaron. Her boy nodded as he loaded another clip into his gun. Lex realized she would never be able to fight from a moving car without wrecking and hurting Aaron. Her best bet was in the road. She started taking off her jacket. Lex was going to have use her abilities.

"You stay in the car. Shoot anything that comes in after you. I'll gonna try to take care of the last three." Lex said as she opened the door, peeled her shirt off and slammed the door. She needed as much skin as possible, available for them to grab. Lex stood in front of the car in her sports bra and pulled a knife out instead of a gun. She needed the angels, that were landing about twenty feet away, to come in close to attack.

Three eightballs crept toward her, two males and another female. All excited to prey on a single human. They all grinned at her with sharp teeth, clearly eager.

Lex cracked her neck to the side and brought her arms up. She used the hand not holding the knife to give them a come on motion with her fingers. They all came at once.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Michael hovered in the air, projecting superiority at the eightballs in front of him. Lex had been correct in her assessment of their numbers and their fear. A dozen dogs of heaven hovered in the air before him, enough to cause him pause and consider, before attacking immediately.

"Give me a reason I should let you dogs live after invading my territory." Michael said without emotion.

"I did not know you had claimed any land after leaving Vega, Brother." The front eightball stated with a familiar inflection. Michael guessed his brother, Gabriel, had possessed another body. The whole process disgusted Michael and it showed on his face.

"Any land that I happen to be occupying is my territory, Gabriel. So as a general rule, for their own health, your dogs should stay clear of my immediate vicinity."

"Michael, Michael, Michael." Gabriel said though the smile of the his eightball. "You better calm yourself. We wouldn't want that temper to get away from you, again."

"Why are you here, Brother?" Michael asked, ignoring his brother's digs. "I would hope you didn't send so many eightballs to their death just to gloat." The angels hovering behind the Gabriel's puppet looked at each other, faces filled with fear and doubt.

"No, Brother, I sent them out of concern. You did not come when I summoned you. I assumed you were injured and were in need of rescuing. Why else would my twin ignore me?"

"I was otherwise occupied." Michael said blandly.

"I noticed how occupied you were." Gabriel said snidely, eyebrows wriggling. "Back at that car lot, you certainly left an impression and so did that hot little human woman." Michael gave no outward sign of concern as his brother continued. "She left quite the impression on my disciple on that roof."

"Again, why are you here?" Michael asked with a particularly bored tone.

"You're no fun, Brother. I'm just suggesting you watch your little anger problem. I'd hate to see another lovely human go the way of the last one." Gabriel said lightly.

Michael slid both swords out of their sheaths without saying a word. The other angels backed away, leaving Gabriel's puppet alone, close to Michael. Several fled altogether, not looking back.

"Don't get too hasty, Brother. The Chosen One sent me. Alex has requested your presence and I, as always, aim to please."

"I find that hard to believe considering our last altercation." Michael's chest constricted, but he was very careful to keep everything hidden. Outwardly, his face maintained it's cold and bored look.

"Oh, believe it, Brother. As you know, I never lie."

"No, Gabriel, you just manipulate the truth."

"Fine, if you must know, the Chosen One's exact words were 'I need to speak to Michael.' Actually, it was quite hurtful. Here he has the great archangel Gabriel at his disposal, but that's not good enough. He still asks for you."

"Are you treating him well?" Michael couldn't keep from asking.

"Alex is treated like royalty by all in my camp. His every wish is fulfilled. Noma comes and goes as she pleases, per his instructions." Gabriel said.

Michael felt a certain amount of relief to hear his lieutenant was still alive. He was thankful Alex didn't hold her responsible for Michael's own crimes.

"The Chosen One and I have worked out a mutual understanding." Gabriel continued. "I have halted almost all attacks toward humans."

"Almost all?" Michael's eyebrow went up in question.

"Well, most recently, I had to guarantee your focus was in the right direction." The eightball smiled creepily. "Any distractions had to be eliminated."

Michael twisted though the air in a circle, suddenly. The eightball that Gabriel possessed fell out of the sky. As the body fell, it split into two pieces, the head separating from the shoulders. Michael stared hard at the four or five angels that were still hovering, watching him.

"Dogs?" Michael asked casually as he swung his right sword in a circle. The blade was covered in blood. "Is this the day you die or will you flee as well?"

There was no need to ask twice. They all saw the wisdom in Michael's suggestion and took off without a word. Michael quickly headed off back the direction he had come, praying to his Father that he could reach his humans in time.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Lex went down on one knee to dodge the first male. He flew over her, landing in a heap on the hood of the car. Lex's eyes began to fade to white as she rolled through the feet of the next male, his claws dragging the air where her head just was. Blood started pouring over her hand as Lex's knife slid easily into his inner thigh. He screamed in pain grabbing his leg.

The other male jumped over them both from the hood of the car landing behind Lex. One hand clawed into Lex's shoulder and as she turned toward him, he backhanded her in the face. Lex turned toward him again and as he looked into her white eyes, fear and confusion flickered across his black ones as Lex's hand landed on his neck. His whole body began to violently spasm, wings bursting forth, limbs flopping uncontrolled. As he let go of Lex, she held on and rode him to the ground, stabbing him directly into the eye, viciously.

Lex didn't have any time to recover as the female eightball grabbed a handful of Lex's hair, yanking her off the ground, into the air. Lex landed, back first, on the hood of the car. All the air rushed out of her lungs at once. She was thankful that the bloody knife was still in her hands. Lex rolled to the right to avoid the female's fist as it came crashing down. The crunch of the hood was followed by the eightball's screech as Lex nailed her in the nose with a well placed boot.

The male Lex had cut in the leg grabbed her with blood covered hands and dragged her off the hood into the road. He landed on top of her and was surprised to look into a face that held a grin and white eyes, even though his claws were dug into her upper arms. She winked at him once and his whole body started convulsing just like his partner. As she rolled him off of her, her knife stuck out the angel's chest.

"What are you?" The female eightball hissed through her broken nose. Her wings came out and Lex knew she was about to take off. Lex could not allow the angel to leave. She had seen too much. Just as the eightball was taking off, Lex jumped onto the hood, then the roof of the car before taking a leap into the air. Lex scored a good hit as she grabbed the angel's leg with both hands. The eightball immediately lost use of her body, falling out of the air and landing in a heap together with Lex. The angel's body was still in seizures as Lex got up, breathing heavily.

"I'm sorry." Lex whispered as she pulled a gun out of her leg holster. She wasted no time putting a bullet into the defenseless angel's brain.

After the gunshot echoed across the road, the silence it left behind was deafening. As her eyes faded to their normal chocolate brown, she looked around and took in the scene. Her son stared back at her from the car that was surrounded by angel corpses. Lex was as surprised as anyone could be that she was still alive. She never had fought that many eightballs at once, before.

She took a step toward Aaron as he climbed out of the car. Her legs gave out and she suddenly was on her hands and knees. In the middle of the road, Lex rolled over to lay on her side. One by one the pain from her injuries took her breath away. She could taste blood in her mouth. She could feel her lips and face swelling on one side of her face. Her back ached. Lex realized some of the blood that covered her arms and chest belonged to herself. She had bleeding punctures across both her upper arms and one shoulder. There was a particular mean gash across her stomach. She wondered briefly if that had happened when she fell with that last angel.

Aaron's face came into view. Lex tried to get up but her body was not responding like it should. She could barely hear her son call out to her.

"Get your butt off the road." Was the only thing Lex could say before the world turned black.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Michael followed the highway Lex had originally been driving when she pulled off to the cabin. He thought she may have taken it to head west. He dove to fly closer to the ground, so that he would be sure he didn't miss them.

Then, Michael could see their car. What came to focus nearly stopped his heart. The roof of the old car was torn open like a tin can, the hood crumpled with blood everywhere. Winged bodies surrounded the car. As he landed, the smell of death invaded his nose. He walked around slowly, inspecting each of the bodies, hope failing with every step. How could one woman and a boy survive an attack of this magnitude?

"Michael?" A quiet voice called from the brush. He looked in that direction and saw a trail of blood to the side of the road. It was a trail of a body being dragged.

"Is that you, angel?" The small shaking voice asked again.

"Yes, it is." Michael said crouched close to the ground. Relief washed over the angel as he spoke. "Aaron, you are safe now."

The boy burst forth from the bushes, straight into the archangel's arms. Small shaking arms wrapped around his neck for dear life. Michael pulled the boy away from him to look him up and down, checking for injuries. He could see none. "Are you hurt?"

Aaron shook his head.

"Where is your mother?"

Aaron pointed back at the brush behind him. "Mom's hurt and won't wake up. I've covered some stuff up, but she needs stitches but I can't quite shaking to do them. I think she's bled too much. I don't know what else to do." Aaron's words ran over themselves as he tried to get them out quickly. "I don't know what else to do." Aaron repeated desperately as he led Michael, by the hand, to the bushes that he had come from. There laid carefully in the shadows was Lex. His breath caught in his throat when he spotted her. Bandages crisscrossed her many wounds. Several of them had bled through.

"Which wound is the most serious?" Michael asked as he took his coat off looking her up and down.

"Um, her stomach?"

Michael flipped over the lid of the first aid kit Aaron had out. He slipped gloves on and then peeled the bloodied bandage from her stomach. Lex groaned as he prodded a bit, he realized that the wound was not as severe as it looked. Stitches would definitely be needed but the wound didn't reach deep enough to do damage internally, just leave another scar. Also, antibiotics would be necessary to ward off the infection humans were so susceptible to.

He thought about where he could find antibiotics as he smoothly stitch Lex's stomach wound with steady hands. Since the apocalypse his family had started, Michael had his fair share of experience sowing up human battle wounds. He had full confidence he could save her if he could find a way to fight infection.

Aaron seemed calm as he watched Michael work. Within a few minutes, he was already done stitching her stomach and was bandaging it, again. As soon as he was done, he moved on up to her upper arms. Michael hissed through his teeth as he pulled off the next bandage. Familiar puncture wounds oozed as he went to work on them. Those claw marks were deep.

As he worked, Michael became more and more impressed. Lex must have continued to fight through several of these painful injuries. Any one of them could have caused an experienced soldier to lose a battle. He looked up at the boy who hovered over his shoulder. A small smile flashed across his face. Michael knew exactly why she fought so valiantly. Another reason humans were so worthy of worship, a mother's love.

"I believe your mother will most likely survive." Michael said as he finished on her shoulder. The boy who had seemed calm for the most part, broke out into tears. Michael stood up and removed his gloves. He led the boy away from his mother and knelt in front of him.

"I didn't know what I was going to do." Aaron explained as he tried to calm himself down again. "I was so scared."

"Fear is natural. It happens to us all. Earlier, I did not know what I was going to do." Michael explained as he put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I did not know what I would do if I could not have found you and your mother. I am here now. We are going to be alright."

Aaron looked down at the kneeling archangel with tear filled eyes. "What if you have to leave before Mom's better? That could happen."

Surprising himself, an oath came forward from Michael lips. "You have my word, little one. There is nothing in this world that will pull me from your side, until your mother is well."

Aaron jumped into his arms again hugging tight, tears falling freely. "Thank you." He whispered.

Michael's arms tentatively wrapped around the small boy. "Do not fear. You will not be alone." The archangel promised.

He just wasn't sure if it was a promise to the boy or himself.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Lex fluttered in and out of consciousness. It felt like being carried out to sea. She would fight to surface and catch a glimpse of what was going on around her and then darkness would carry her away.

She came to when someone painfully picked her up and started carrying her. Lex tried to use the pain to bring herself out of the dark. All she caught was a warm earthy scent that brought a forest rain to mind. She had time to think about how comfortable it was and then she was gone.

Next, she surfaced to hear her son talking to someone. "We can't leave any of this stuff behind or Mom will throw a fit." She was about to ask what stuff Aaron was talking about, when the tide took her again.

She opened her eyes and didn't recognize the vehicle she was riding in. It was getting dark outside but she could see her boys in the front seat. She wondered briefly how Michael had found them but then her lids got too heavy and she started to float away.

* * *

Lex woke up in a familiar forest. So familiar, she knew exactly where and when she was. The In-between had taken her again. She knew every tree, every bush that surrounded this damnable trailer house. She had been here thousands of times and was getting really sick of it. The In-between kept bringing her here. The reason baffled her and it was just pissing her off. What in the world was she supposed to take away from watching this over and over again?

She brought her legs up to her chest and covered her head with her arms as Lex heard her younger self giggle. She gritted her teeth, knowing the exact line coming next from the rat bastard.

_Lexus, baby, you worry too much. We're just gonna party for a little while and then we'll be on our way._

She kept her eyes closed. She didn't need to see this again. Lex suddenly realized there was someone seated next to her in the grass. She looked up to see Michael next to her. He was still decked out in his roman armor and long hair. He was studying the blood on his hands.

_How the hell did you get here?_

_Well, you brought me. By accident, I believe._

_What do you mean 'by accident'?_

_Do you know what happened on the outside?_

_Yeah, I fought those eightballs. I was hurt. You are there with Aaron. I knew that much before the In-between brought me here. _The door on the trailer shut. Lex knew the screams would start soon. She nervously ran her hands through her hair.

_We are in a vehicle resting for the night. _Michael stated as he watched her carefully. _You are in the backseat and Aaron is asleep in the front. You woke with your eyes whited out. You said my name as if you were in pain. I got out to check on you. I touched your face and here I am. I would have to say, it was not quite as painful or shocking as the first time. Still stung a bit._

_If you can believe it, I was trying to take it easy on you last time. It does get a bit easier with every trip you take. _Lex said lightly.

The desperate screams started. Lex put her head against her knees covering up with her arms again. _I'm sorry you have to watch this. _She said through her gritted teeth. _I can't send you back. We're stuck here until the In-between spits us back out. That happens when it grabs me from the other side, I can't leave until it's done. _When the laughter and whooping got going, she gripped her knees harder.

_Why are you reliving this?_

_I'm not sure, anymore. I used to think it was supposed to get me to move past it but now I think it just might be my punishment._

_Punishment for what?_

_Oh, don't worry, you'll get to see._

As they both watched, the door jerked open and the beaten young Lex tried to escape while a man grabbed her by her long hair. He then jerked her back in. The man was older with a grin on his face, laughing the whole time she screamed. The young man that lead her into the trap closed the door back. Lex could tell it was taking a lot for Michael to continue to stay in place, seated next to her. She could feel the fury coming off of him in waves. It did comfort her, in a way.

_You better just chill here with me, Hero. I have already tried a hundred times to save myself. It doesn't work, you can't change the past. You'll just get to see a bunch of stuff you really don't want to._

Michael sat statue still but Lex could see his knuckles were white.

She felt the need to explain the scene playing out in front of them. _The guy that walked me in there was supposed to be my boyfriend. I was in love with him. I ran away from Helena for him. Of course, Helena had bought me from a ophanage in Vega, so I guess there's a theme. We're slightly outside New Delphi and he brought me here to sell me._

Lex shook her head in disgust. _I didn't even have a clue._

_You were a victim, at no fault what-so-ever._ Michael stated grimly.

_You're wrong. I was stupid and I am no victim. _The words spit angrily though her teeth. _Not in this world or any other. _

Just when Michael was about to say something back, the world turned around them, time speeding up. The stars raced across the sky and then gave way to the sun. Silence gave way to three men plus the boy leaving the trailer. They walked and talked casually, never looking back. They didn't even bother closing the door behind them.

_While I laid in there alone, I thought dying would be a_ blessing. The sun sped through the sky as the day wore on quickly leading back into night._ I was actually angry when it became obvious that I was going to survive. _

Michael and Lex watched as the beaten girl lurched out the door. Eyes white and stumbling, obviously weak, she followed in the same direction as the men.

_I came to a decision. If I was going to live, it was only for one reason._

The world turned as the everything around them changed. Before them, their world separated into four different scenes of Lex. Every scene showcased her murdering each of the men. One showed her smiling, eyes wild, slicing her boyfriend's throat while he slept. Another showed her gutting a screaming man as he hung from a tree by his arms, Lex tortured him gleefully. Each scenario was more viscous than the last, showing a side of Lex that disturbed her. She watched as Michael bore witness to the massacres, his face emotionless.

_Those four men violated me every way a person can be, and I was going to make sure they paid for it. _Lex looked down at her hands as blood poured through her fingers. Even though she regretted killing the men, watching herself massacre them again gave Lex a certain bit of satisfaction. That fact made her feel ashamed.

Michael reached over and squeezed her bloodied hands. _They paid their dept for a heinous crime. As far as I am concerned, you had every right to retribution._

_Killing them for raping me is not why I think I'm being punished._

Michael looked at her in surprise. The scene changed from the carnage of Lex's killing spree to a tranquil scene by the sea. A young Lex was smiling, playing with a toddler boy on the beach, both the picture of happiness.

_I think I'm being punished for murdering my son's father._

_Aaron told me his father died a hero. _Michael said when he realized what she was implying.

_I told him the truth as I saw it, his father died so that I could live. _Lex said sadly. _I was not going to live in the same world as those men, so I made it where I didn't have to. He assumed the hero part and I'm not taking that away from him._

_A lot of women would have abandoned a child born of such violence._

_It wasn't his fault. _Lex looked up at Michael with her chocolate brown eyes. _He was the gift for all my suffering. Luckily, I found out I was pregnant shortly after. Otherwise, I wouldn't have lasted too much longer. Aaron is the reason I'm alive today._

She got up on her knees, facing Michael. The sadness in her eyes changed to determination. She took a moment before speaking, the waves crashing on the beach filled the silence.

_All the awful things I've done and will do in this world, will be worth it if that boy gets to grow old. Old enough to watch his own grandchildren play in a yard somewhere safe._

Lex grabbed Michael's face with both her hands so that she could make sure he heard every important word. He placed his own hands on top of hers.

_You talk of seeking redemption, Michael. I know what it looks like. Every time you see that beautiful boy of mine, know that is what redemption looks like._


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Michael opened his eyes slowly, acclimating to the world around him. It was dark but his eyes adjusted quickly. Other than the crickets around them, he could only hear the boy's light snoring. It came from the front seat of the large suv he had commandeered earlier in the day. He was standing in the open doorway of the back seat, Lex lying there, face up, eyes white.

His was gripping the roof with one hand and palming Lex's face lightly with the other. As he let go of car with his hand, Michael noticed the deeply grooved imprint in the metal his grip left behind. Joining Lex's trip to the In-between did hurt quite a bit but he thought he was better prepared for it. At least this time, he was still standing on his own two feet and his wings were still put away.

Studying her face, Michael ran his thumb up and down her cheek. How could a human, who was barely a quarter of a century old, bear so much pain on her shoulders and still carry on? Lex carried every mistake with her, but knew exactly what she intended to do earn her redemption. She was going to make sure her son received his chance to grow old.

Michael, at one time, had that same determination when he watched over the Chosen One. For as long as he could remember, he thought his redemption would come when the war ended and the human race survived. Now that he had ruined Alex's trust, killed a human he thought he loved, and been barred from the city he had built, Michael felt lost.

He realized he was jealous of Lex. Even through pain and betrayal, she still had a mission in her life. She even included saving Michael in that mission. Here he was, an un-aging archangel who had lived long enough to see human life begin on this world, being taught by a woman who had barely lived at all.

As his thumb lightly traced the line of her chin, Michael prayed to his Father. He thanked Him for putting this woman and her son in his path. His Father must have sent her to him. She knew everything about him. His brothers and sisters didn't even know as much as she. Only Father did. He had felt alone in this world for so long, since his Father had left. A great burden lifted from his shoulders when he realized he was alone no longer.

As he leaned down and kissed her forehead, Michael thought about what his new purpose could be. He was surprised to see warm brown eyes looking back at him. Lex's hand caught his as he tried to pull away.

"Hi, there." She whispered hoarsely.

"I did not mean to disturb you." He whispered back.

Lex smiled tenderly up at him, still holding his hand by her face. "I couldn't imagine a more gentle wake up."

Michael slightly smiled back. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got my ass kicked by four eightballs, yesterday." She said as she leaned her face against his hand. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose.

"More like two days ago, my dear."

"Then pardon my whining, my dear." Lex whispered as she rolled her eyes.

"I will pardon you just this once." Michael said as he felt a wave of relief at her lightheartedness. He had worried over her recovery, watched her closely for any sign of infection.

She started to laugh and it quickly turned into a groan of pain. "Well, now I know I must still be out of it. There's no way I just heard the great and mighty archangel Michael crack a joke."

"Your hearing must be off." Michael said, enjoying the banter. He inspected her closely."Your color does look better." He said in a more serious tone.

"You're telling me you can see me? It's so dark, I can't even see your hand in front of my face." She said as she held his palm.

"Angel eyes can adjust to about any light. I can see you clearly." The fact that she couldn't see, had him curious. "If you cannot see, how did you know it was me when you first woke?" He whispered.

"You seem to have trouble remembering I can sense you." She said quietly. "I can also smell you."

"Higher angels and archangels do not smell. Dogs of heaven smell."

"Don't get your feathers ruffled." Lex smiled, both dimples showing. "I didn't say you stink, but you do have a scent."

"And what, Lexus, would you say, I smell like?" He whispered, voice deepening as he leaned closer to her. Michael watched as she shyly bit her bottom lip and looked around her. He felt the sudden urge to nibble at that lip himself. Knowledge of her injuries was the only thing keeping him from trying.

"Clean." Lex said slowly. "You smell clean, like pine trees and rain."

His breath caught. After all the horrible things he had done in his long life, to be referred to as 'clean' by her, simply amazed him. She made his soul feel cleaner just by saying it. "I am beginning to adore you."

He felt her squeeze the hand she was holding as she resumed leaning her head against it. She breathed deeply again with her nose at his wrist. He watched as she closed her eyes and a small smile grew on her face. There was a long pause. Aaron's light snoring and the crickets filled the void as Michael patiently waited her response.

"I know." She whispered, without reopening her eyes. "Your growing on me, too."

Shortly thereafter, he watched as her breathing resumed the regular rhythm of sleep. As she still held on to his hand, he turned and sat down on the floorboard of the suv, with his long legs hanging out the open door. He used his other hand to delicately move hair that blocked his view of her face.

Michael leaned his head against the front seat. He couldn't say that he was sitting in the most comfortable position, but as sleep started to take him, he realized hadn't felt this relaxed in years.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"Mom, wake up." Lex heard Aaron whisper. She jerked herself into sitting up, then hissed at the pain radiating from her stitches that came from the sudden movement. Aaron was leaning over the front seat, handing her a handgun. She looked around, trying to discern the danger but saw none. All she saw was trees and brush around the suv.

"What's going on?" Lex whispered back as she checked the clip in the gun then she snapped it back in.

"Michael told me to try to wake you up." Aaron said quietly as he palmed another gun. "He said that there were people coming then took off."

"Where are we?"

"We're just west of Amarillo, Mom."

"Did the angel say how many?"

"I think he said he heard about a dozen."

"That's too many to be random. Did he say where he was going?"

"Michael said that he was going to thin the herd and then he would be back shortly."

"Stupid effing angel." Lex spit quietly through gritted teeth and split lip. She opened the door and managed to climb out. "Stay down."

As she held onto the open door to keep from falling, she heard a branch snap to her right. Lex leaned against the door jamb to hold herself steady while she aimed between the door and frame of the suv.

"I would suggest calling out a greeting of some kind or I just might give you a few new holes to bleed through." Lex called out loudly.

"Well, it looks to me like you already have a few new holes, Lex." A young woman's voice called back.

"Is that you, Roach? What are you doing scurrying way out here?" Lex called back.

"How many times do I have to tell you to quit calling me that? It's Rochelle and I've worked my ass off to keep it that way since you left." The source of the voice stayed hidden in the woods. "Still got that mean ass kid of yours?"

"Don't you have some protocol to get through, Roach, before asking a bunch of questions?" Lex said back.

A pretty woman, tall and curvy, with long blond hair in a ponytail stepped into view. She wore a black tank top and black cargo pants. She had freckles scattered over her cheeks, nose and shoulders. She held what looked like a military grade semi-automatic rifle in her arms, pointed at the ground. "Greetings from The Camp. We are only interested in trade or battle. Do you offer a trade?"

Michael suddenly stepped from the other side of the clearing. Lex was surprised to see he no longer wore his uniform from Vega. He had donned just a plain white t-shirt and a pair of jeans. His scabbard for his swords and military boots were the only things he wore that Lex recognized from his uniform. She noticed how the t-shirt gripped his arms and muscled chest tightly. _And don't he look like sex on a stick. _Lex thought.

"She is in need of medical care. What would you trade for it?" Michael asked.

Lex watched as Rochelle's whole attitude magically changed from disdain to flirtatious in an instant. She had to roll her eyes. Lex considered shooting the woman, but she guessed it wasn't quite fair to hit her while she was so distracted.

"Now, Lex, where did you find this fine piece of man?" Rochelle said with her most winning smile and not even a glance back at Lex. She took a few swaying steps toward Michael. "What is your name, handsome?"

"Don't answer any question that she asks." Lex said loudly.

"Trade for medical care?" Rochelle said, ignoring Lex. "Depends on what's needed."

"Antibiotics." Michael said back.

"Shut it." Lex hissed at the angel as she hobbled out from behind the door. He immediately came to her side, to offer help, she knew, but Lex ignored him and walked slowly past him, toward Rochelle.

"I do not see the point in being vague. Antibiotics are what you need." He said coldly.

"Let's see. Who, of the two of us, has negotiated with The Camp before?" Lex said, getting aggravated. "Hmmm, yeah, I think I know the answer to that one. That would be me. So you need to shut it and let me work."

"Sweety, I'd let her work." Rochelle leaned around Lex to smile at Michael. "I'd hate to take advantage of you. Her, on the other hand, I don't mind."

"What's the going rate for medical, Roach?" Lex asked, interrupting her.

"After your fully recovered, four weeks hard labor, three for skilled." Rochelle said as she picked at her fingernails as if she were bored.

"Bullshit. I'll go one week, skilled." Lex responded.

"No, that's not going to work for me. I'd go for two weeks hard labor for both of you." Rochelle then motioned toward Aaron in the suv. He still had his gun aimed at her. "And two weeks of light labor for the boy."

"Now, you know I'd never put up my son for labor. You better have something else to offer."

"I think you better accept what I'm already offering." Rochelle said with confidence. "You're not in a position to battle, not with your two and a half against my dozen. I'm not even considering the fact that you're injured. The odds are pretty much all in my favor."

"I believe your are mistaken about those odds." Michael interrupted. "Your eleven comrades are indisposed at the moment."

Lex turned to the angel and looked at him, questioningly. He stood with his muscular arms crossed. He responded with a small smile and a wink.

"Roach, why don't you call your men to confirm they are otherwise occupied." Lex said as she gave Michael her own smile. "Assuming they can still speak?"

"Yes, they can still speak." Michael responded with a tilt of his head.

After a few moments on her handheld radio, Rochelle grudgingly offered. "One week of skilled labor for each adult, none for the child."

"After a full recovery, food and fuel provided by The Camp. We will cover our own shelter during our stay." Lex stated as she held her hand out.

"After a full recovery, food and fuel provided by The Camp." Rochelle repeated while the women shook hands firmly. She then asked with a smile and a wiggle of her eyebrows. "Now, what is that badass hottie's name?"

"Mike." Lex responded slowly as she looked meaningfully at the archangel as he stared back. "His name is Mike."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Michael watched Lex carefully as she told the blond woman to call him, Mike. He had never been required to really act as a human, before. He had always been free to be himself. He had observed several of his brothers and sisters doing it. He could pretend to be human, but he was sure of one thing. If Lex thought he was making mistakes, there was no doubt she would point them out.

As he observed her, he decided he had enough of Lex's tough façade. He could see the pain she was in. Every move she made, every step she took caused her whole body to clamp down in response. Lex stared at him as he moved toward her with purpose. When he was close enough, he scooped her up into his arms as gently as he could. All he got in response from her was a grunt he assumed was from pain.

"Why do all the hot ones just fall all over you, Lex? I don't get it." Rochelle said as she stomped toward their suv.

"Don't take it personal, Roach. Must be my sparkling personality." Lex said as Michael carried her. He felt her head as she leaned into his chest and heard her inhale. He knew now she was taking in his scent and felt a certain amount of satisfaction.

"Please, girl, you're a bigger bitch than I ever thought about being." Rochelle said smiling as she held the back door open for them.

"That's still up for debate." Lex responded as two men, in the same uniform as Rochelle, came out of the woods.

"I'm riding in with the new camp guests. You two will collect everyone else, Mike here tied up. You all should be ashamed of yourselves for leaving me high and dry during a negotiation. Enjoy walking back."

"That's a whole day's trip." One man complained. "We won't get back to camp until tomorrow."

"Suck it up, Buttercup." Rochelle responded with no sympathy. "Maybe next time I need back up you won't be caught with your dick in your hand. That's when you'll get a ride home."

As Michael helped Lex into the backseat, he heard her say to Rochelle. "Roach, there's no debate about it, you clearly won."

"You're totally taking that out of context." Rochelle retorted. "Go ahead and climb in with her, Mikey, I'll drive. I know the way, after all."

"Only if you keep your hands off my son." Lex said, pointing a finger at her. "I realize you're probably a little sore over what he did the last time we were around."

"There will be no hands harming the boy unless someone is willing to part with said hands." Michael said in a cold serious tone. He wanted to leave no doubt what the consequences would be. "No matter what the boy did, previously."

Lex looked up at Michael with those warm brown eyes. He had trouble reading the feelings behind them but she did squeeze his hand reassuringly. He also watched Aaron's grin grow wider, his dimples grow bigger, as Rochelle climbed in the driver's seat.

"I am older now. I promise I won't do it again." The boy said, although he didn't sound very sincere to Michael.

"Do you know how long it has taken for the hair to grow back?" Rochelle grabbed her ponytail, possessively. "Two years, you little shit!" She took a moment to breath and said in a calmer voice. "I forgive you since you were just a baby. Babies can't be held responsible for the things they do. Matter of fact, you still look like a baby to me. Maybe, I can find a nursery to take care of you while your mommy gets better." She said as Aaron dodged her attempts to pinch his cheek.

"Get off me. I'm no baby, Roach!" Aaron hollered as he gave her the finger. Michael leaned over the seat and grabbed the gun that the boy previously had aimed at the obnoxious woman. Better to be safe than sorry, Michael thought.

"May we be on our way to the medical care you promised? Or do you feel the need to continue to argue with a child?" Michael said annoyed.

"Amen." Lex said next to him.

"You know, your hotness is cooling off every time you open that mouth of yours." Rochelle said as she started up the suv. As she pulled on the road, she looked back at him through the rearview mirror. "Nope, Mikey, Just kidding. You're still smokin'." She said with a grin.

"They'll be fine." Lex said then motion toward the back of the suv. "Grab my bag from back there, would you?"

Michael turned and grabbed the bag then put it in her lap. He watched as she dug through it and pulled a dark maroon button shirt out. She handed the bag back to him. She started the process of putting the shirt on over her sports bra and bandages. Michael could see the set of her jaws as she gritted her teeth.

"Let me assist you." Michael whispered to Lex as he lifted the shirt. She paused a moment and stared silently up at him. As he stared back, he wondered what she could be possibly thinking. She gave him a quick nod of her head and then continued to put her arms through the sleeves.

"I don't suppose you grabbed my jacket and holster from my car, did you?" She asked. When she saw Michael pull the jacket from the back, she smiled gratefully.

"Why are you arming yourself? I will watch over you while you heal."

"As much as I appreciate that, and I really do, I have to arm up. I'll get challenged if people think I'm injured." Lex said quietly.

Michael looked at her questioningly. "I do not understand."

"The last time I left The Camp, I pissed off a few people. If they think I'm hurt, they'll challenge me to fight."

"By a few people, she means a lot of people." Rochelle piped in from the front seat. "We'll try to ease on unnoticed to the doc. As soon as word gets around that you're back, things will get interesting."

"Interesting?" Michael asked.

"Like the shit will hit the fan, interesting." Rochelle said, grinning. "I've missed you, Lex. Things never get boring when you're around."

"You have a special place in my heart, too, Roach." Lex said as she slipped her leather jacket on.

"Why are we going in if you will be in danger? Why even strike a bargain?" Michael asked, getting alarmed.

"Once I'm in the infirmary, no one can challenge me until I am fully recovered. After that, we'll only be around for the week of our labor. I can handle what they throw at me in a week. Once I'm healed, though, whoever challenges me will think twice. I have a bit of a reputation."

"Seems to be a barbaric way of doing things." Michael retorted.

"Where are you from, Mike?" Rochelle asked, suddenly curious.

"Mike's from Vega. He's a soldier that defected a few weeks ago. He just not used to the ways of the world outside The Cradle." Lex answered back.

"Well, Mikey boy, let me explain the rules of The Camp for you." Rochelle said to the rearview mirror. "Outsiders get two options, trade or battle. That's the general theme of The Camp. Residents generally get to keep what they find, but if someone else wants it a trade can be offered. If the trade is declined, then a challenge to fight can follow. Whoever wins the fight wins what the challenge was over."

"How is the winner of the fights determined?" Michael asked.

"By a judge. He or she is elected by a vote of the residents every five years. It's generally not to the death, if that's what you're asking. Not unless it's something really personal, like someone's kid being fought over or someone's spouse."

"You trade people?" Michael was getting a bad taste in his mouth.

"It's not as bad as it sounds. If a couple is happy together, they have to fight for one another at least once or twice. It's really romantic if you think about it." Rochelle said as she batted her eyelashes at him. "If a challenger loses, they can never fight over what they declared again. Fighting each other helps everyone get along outside the ring. Keeps everyone prepared to fight, if we get an angel attack."

"There are plenty of people that can be taken advantage of in that type of system. What happens to people who cannot fight?"

"Like V1's don't get taken advantage of in Vega." Rochelle said as she rolled her eyes. "We have a rule for people like that. If your challenged, you can ask someone else to fight for you. That's what got Lex into trouble. While she was around, she took up any weakling's cause. She fought a lot and won. Nothing pisses people off like winning."

"Mom kicked a lot of butt, back in the day." Aaron said proudly.

"If you did so well at The Camp, why did you leave for the dangers of traveling alone?" Michael asked Lex. She was leaning her head back against the seat with her eyes closed. She opened one eye at him and closed it.

"Sometimes it's just not worth the fight anymore." She said as she kept her eyes closed.

"I'll tell you why she took off with the rugrat and ran." Rochelle piped up, wriggling her eyebrows in the rearview mirror.

"And you wonder why I keep calling you Roach." Lex muttered.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"Where should I start?" Rochelle asked, patting her lip with a finger.

"Maybe with paying attention to the road." Lex suggested. She knew Rochelle was just trying to torture her. It was the predator part of Rochelle's personality coming through.

"I'm multi-tasking and besides, I'm only going to give him the short version." Rochelle said, dismissing Lex.

Lex kept her eyes closed with her head leaned back against the seat, trying to ease the headache that was creeping up on her. She really didn't mind Michael knowing why she left The Camp. He had already seen her worst crimes first hand. There wasn't anything worse than that in her past. She just didn't want to talk about what happened out loud. Speaking about it just brought the memory to the forefront of her mind and made her uncomfortable.

"Once upon a time, Lex had an admirer." Rochelle continued, ignoring any boundary set before her. "Joe was his name and kissing Lex's ass was his game. They were pretty close as friends. He even helped raise munchkin butt here." Rochelle pointed to Aaron.

"He didn't raise me." Aaron interjected. He looked back toward Michael as he spoke. "Joe was a big faker. He was only nice to me because he wanted my mom."

"Joe did ask her to marry him. Miss Lexus made it clear that she had no interest in having a husband. Joe didn't like her answer and decided he would try another route. He challenged her to a fight. If Joe won, Lex would have a no choice but to marry him."

"I damn near killed him." Lex interrupted quietly as she stared out the window. There was a certain amount of shame that colored her memory of the fight. She had known that Joe loved her. She had gone into the fight thinking to let him down easy. The main turning point was when he finally realized Lex intended to win. He was angry and had her pinned to the ground. He had ground himself into her and said something awful to her. Something in her snapped. Suddenly, in her mind, rage was all she knew.

"Yep." Rochelle continued, almost in awe. "The fight eventually turned into the most vicious fight I ever saw. I personally think the prick deserved what he got."

Lex felt a large warm hand grip her small cold one. She looked down at their hands together in her lap. Of all the people she knew, Michael could relate to losing control.

"She and the kiddo were gone that same night." Rochelle said. "This is the first we've seen of them since and that was more than two years ago."

They rode in silence for a few a while. Rochelle then turned into a really large parking lot. "Lex and Aaron, welcome home." She said as she drove.

Lex watched as a familiar scene moved past the windows. Trailers, RV's, cars and even tents were set up haphazardly around with a single path clear through the center. The smell of cooking meats wafted through the cracked windows. She could hear children playing while bargains were being made. The Camp had grown in the years she had been gone. She bet there was every bit of two or three hundred people here.

"I did not think there could be this many people together in one camp." Michael said while he took everything in.

"We've had a lot of newcomers lately." Rochelle responded as she drove through the crowded area slowly. "You may not like the way we do things here but life at The Camp can seem pretty good compared to being a V1 or whatever the other cities call their poor. We don't let our people starve or go without shelter. We protect our own."

"This is impossible to secure against attack." Michael responded as he looked around.

"It may not be as secure as a wall and gatling guns but we have a hell of a lot more freedom." Rochelle said defensively. "Here, everyone above fifteen is armed and responsible for security. Discharging a firearm is the sign of an attack. If a gun fires with no angels, the punishment is a public beating. It's not a mistake that happens often. Ammo is too precious to waste on anything other than the enemy. Besides, most of the eightballs way out here want nothing to do with the war. They want to be left alone to live, just like us."

Lex leaned in close to Michael and whispered. "You may want to avoid the judgemental commentary. You'll start to offend people here."

"I will take that under advisement." He whispered back as he leaned even closer to her. She watched him, knowing this was his way of seducing her, bit by bit. Lex knew how he felt about her and and she had to admit, a big part of her enjoyed his intentions. He was sexy as hell without even trying. But she felt sadness creeping up on her, from the loss of what, in her mind, could never be.

As they looked at each other, Michael gave her a questioning lift of an eyebrow, his eyes filling with concern. She knew her feelings were leaking into her own eyes. Lex just shook her head and turned her eyes back toward the window.

She felt his breath close to her ear. He whispered lightly, "One day, Lexus, you will think of the sadness and fear I see in your eyes, as a huge waste of time."

"Hate to interrupt the whisper of sweet nothings, lovebirds, but we're here." Rochelle announced as she opened her door. If front of the suv, in the midst of people everywhere, sat a large yellow tent with a medical plus sign on the doors.

"I'm going to have to walk on my own into that tent, Michael." Lex whispered as she looked in his eyes. "I need you to look like your badass self and walk with Aaron. Trust me on this. After we're inside, you can help me, but on the walk in I have to look uninjured or we'll be in trouble."

"You have my word, I will follow your lead. But let me be perfectly clear to you, I am fully capable of killing every human within a fifty foot radius. And, Lexus, I will do just that if I see the need." Michael whispered back, matter of factly. She could see the commitment to protect them in his eyes and wasn't that just the sweetest thing.

"Deal." She said as she opened her door. Lex gritted her teeth as she climbed out. Pain radiated from her head to her stomach and through her shoulders as she shut the suv door. She figured she might have just ripped a few stitches.

_Twenty steps. _She thought. Lex could see faces turning her direction and conversations stopping. She felt her face getting warmer. It must be the fever she had been trying to ignore.

_Fifteen steps. _She counted as she watched Michael lead Aaron into the tent. Lex breathed slowly through her nose as she gripped the handles of the blades at her sides. The pain was getting sharper. She could feel blood soaking through the bandages.

_Just ten more steps. _Her knees were getting weaker but Lex continued walking and concentrated on keeping her back straight. She could hear her name being mentioned amongst the crowd. She had to get inside.

_Five more. _Her vision was getting blurry, but she could tell Michael and Aaron were holding the tent flap open for her. She heard murmurs in the crowd behind her as something or someone was moving toward her.

_Made it!_ Lex celebrated in her mind just as her knees gave out and her vision blackened. She felt Michael's arms catch her as she fell. Before she lost consciousness, she heard, outside the tent, a familiar male voice screaming her name.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Michael easily carried Lex deeper into the tent. The tent was filled with cots, separated into sections. Men and women in scrubs walked among the aisles, checking on patients.

"Excuse me." Michael finally shouted across the tent when he realized everyone was too busy to take notice of the three of them. A head whipped around quickly in recognition, and a familiar face came into view. Samuel, a higher angel, hurried over to attend them. Michael felt surprise at the sight of his brother. He had no idea that any of his brethren had taken shelter with The Camp.

Samuel was always hailed as beautiful in the heavens, but his earthly form was a sight to behold. He was just slightly shorter than Michael, with a smaller well muscled frame. His wavy jet black hair was long, almost touching his shoulders. Ice blue eyes and a chiseled jaw finished a perfectly formed face. Michael wondered how he hid amongst these humans without any suspicion of his angelic beauty.

"Bring her over here." Samuel said indicating a cot. Michael could hear the fear in his voice.

"You have nothing to fear from me, brother." Michael whispered far below the hearing capabilities of the humans around them. He watched as Samuel exhaled a breath he had been holding.

A dark complected man, of spanish descent, came bursting through the doorway, limping with a cain. He was shouting. "Lex?! Lex?! I saw her. Where is she?!"

"You stay away from her." Aaron said loudly, taking several steps toward the shouting man.

Rochelle appeared suddenly kneeling next to the boy. Michael watched as she slipped a gun from Aaron's hand, as she patted the boy's back. Michael hadn't even known the boy was armed. She slyly stuck it in her pants pocket without anyone around them noticing.

"Let me handle him, munchkin butt." She said kindly as she stood.

Rochelle then turned to the man. "Here's a reminder, Joe. You lost all rights to her two years ago, when you lost your challenge. Guess what? That means, now, you get to mind your own damn business when it comes to Lex." Rochelle tone became harsher as she got in his face and jabbed her finger into his chest.

"Please, Rochelle. I just want to know how she is." Joe said with gravelly voice.

"You don't get to know how she's doing. You don't get to ask about her. You don't get to see her. You don't get shit! You're the reason we lost her in the first place. I bargained my ass off to get her to come back and stay for just a week. So help me God, I'll kill you myself if you run her off again. Now get out." Rochelle was shouting by the end of her tirade, pointing to the exit.

Complete silence had engulfed the medical tent. Michael had his hands resting on the handles of his swords on his belt, ready for the man to make a mistake. He studied this 'Joe' as the man leaned against his cain. He noticed the man had an ugly scar curving from the corner of his left eye all the way down his face to his top lip. It gave Joe's face a permanent sneer. The sneer didn't match the tears filling the man's dark eyes as he looked at each of them. Michael recognized the regret and pain that covered the man's face. He, himself, had felt them enough to last a lifetime. The man quietly turned and limped his way out the doorway of the tent.

"My name is Sam." Samuel said, interrupting the silence surrounding them. He held out his hand to Michael as he asked, "What are your names?"

Aaron jumped in front of Michael, and shook Sam's extended hand, taking complete control of the conversation. "I'm Aaron and this is Mike. Eightballs attacked my mom about three days ago. Mike thinks she's getting an infection."

Sam smiled kindly at the boy. "I going to take good care of your mom. Ok?"

"Ok." Aaron said back. Michael watched as his brother went to work on Lex. Within minutes, Sam had an IV started with fluids and was inspecting Michael's stitching work.

"These are the best triage stitches I've seen in years." Sam commented quietly as he continued his exam. "It looks like a wing caused the stomach wound. No sign of infection, there. She has popped a few stitches but otherwise it looks pretty good. It's her shoulder and arms that concerns about."

He indicated the puncture wounds. "These were obviously made by claws. An eightball's claws are filthy and are always big sources of infection. You see how her arms look swollen and the wounds look puffy? She also has a low-grade fever. Those are all pretty good signs of an infection starting." Sam paused a moment and looked up at Michael. "You did good getting her to me now. Another few days, you would be burying her. I'm going to start her, intravenously, on antibiotics for the infection and painkillers to keep her comfortable and still so she can heal. She is going to be out of it for the next couple of days. She needs to stay in this bed for at least a week. After that, we'll just have to wait and see what she's up to doing."

"Thank you, Sam. I would be eternally grateful to see her fully recovered. She is of great importance to us both." Michael said as he put his hand on Aaron's shoulder while the boy held Lex's hand. Aaron nodded his agreement.

"You are welcome, Mike." Sam said, pausing as he tried out the archangel's name. Michael listened as Samuel spoke too low for the humans to hear. "You have my solemn vow, this human woman will receive the best care I have to offer. I beg you, do not expose me. These humans would not accept my care if they knew I was angelic. I am happy and content here, with them, and do not wish to leave."

"Worry not, my brother. I have no intent to expose you or force you into the war. They believe me human as well." Michael said with a nod of his head. He was almost relieved to have another angel around. Even if it was for a short time, he could get advice on acting human.

"Hey, Mike." Aaron whispered quietly. "Don't forget to warn the doctor about touching my mom if she goes weirdo. Or his secret won't stay secret for long."

Both angels' heads jerked down toward the boy, faces filled with alarm and surprise.

"What?" Aaron scoffed as he rolled his eyes, as if they both were stupid to think he didn't know.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Lex drifted for what seemed like forever until she was aware enough to escape to the In-between. She would rather face whatever the In-between threw at her than nothingness. Surprisingly enough, her visit had been pretty pleasant. No future cryptic disasters, no reliving horrible events, no blood baths.

She had spent most of her time watching herself and a toddler version of Aaron playing on the beach. The beach was pristine, empty of the carnage that covered the rest of the world. The warm sun shined unbroken by a single cloud. The sound of waves crashing on the sand was soothing as was the slight breeze. Her adorable son stumbled about as he chased the water line in and out. A younger version of herself followed closely behind, ready to catch him if he fell.

This was the best time of her life, so far, in her opinion. She had traveled across the country on her own with just her and Aaron. They were somewhere on the Georgia coastline. When she first made it here, Lex had finally realized that she was fully capable of taking care of herself and her son. Lex had been so proud of herself. She could avoid angels with her tricks, and she was smart enough to avoid humans if she had to. She remember feeling the weight of her worries lift from her confident shoulders. It felt like there was just her and her son alone in the world, safe. She had been so happy and free on this beach.

Over the waves crashing, she heard footsteps behind her. Over the sandy hill, Michael walked casually toward her. Instead of the armor and blood that normally covered him, he was wearing a simple white t-shirt and jeans. He looked relaxed as he walked barefoot through the sand, hands in his pockets. His hair blowed slowly about by the wind.

_I was wondering why you have stayed gone for so long. Now I know. Who would want to leave a scene like this?_

_It's a hell of a lot better than the black nothingness that the real world was offering. I see someone's self-image has slowly progressed since the last time we were here. _Lex indicated Michael's outfit.

_It is a curious thing. _Michael said as he sat down next to her. He turned his clean hands about in front of them. _I am not quite sure what has changed, but something in me has. Your image is not a disconcerting, either. You look quite catching, actually._

Lex looked at herself and she was still in a white dress, but it was clean. She was her older self. There were no bruises and cuts covering her arms and legs. She just shrugged her shoulders. _You never know with the In-between. It's probably just showing me a truth of a different sort._

A squeal came from the toddler boy and the young Lex's laughter followed as they both ran down the beach after each other.

_This is my happiest memory, right here. _

_This is a beautiful memory. I feel privileged to witness it. _

They both sat in silence for a while, watching scene at the beach. Lex eventually reached over and squeezed Michael's hand. _Thank you._

_For what, may I ask? _Michael asked, squeezing her hand back.

_For taking care of Aaron when I couldn't. _Lex paused a long moment as the waves continued to crash on the beach. _For taking care of me. _

_It is I who should be thanking you. If you had not searched me out, I am sure I would still be sitting in that old farmhouse. You lead me back into the world. You have given me purpose, again. That is no small debt to repay._

_You've saved both our lives. Consider the debt paid._

_I cannot._

_Why not?_

_If I considered the debt paid, than I no longer have an excuse to stay by your side. _

_Do you need an excuse? _Lex asked as she looked up at him. Michael's hand came up and moved a few stray locks of hair back behind her ear. His hand stayed and lightly held her face as she leaned into it. His thumb carefully caressed her cheek. Her own hand lifted to cover his.

_I thought you may have needed the pretense. _Michael whispered. _Otherwise, you may send me away._

_I don't think there is any danger of that. I really don't think I could._

_That is reassuring. I do not think I could leave, even if you did send me away. _

Lex smiled shyly and looked away from those very addictive eyes. Michael turned her face back to his by the chin.

_You think I am addictive? _Michael asked as he smiled slightly. _You forget, here I can read you as well as you can read me on the other side. It is very refreshing to know how you really feel. You tend to hide yourself from me._

_Sorry. I know it bothers you. It's just kind of automatic. _Lex said a bit ashamed. She looked out at the ocean and watched as her younger self carried a very tired boy up the hill. _I promise to work on it._

_Do not feel shame, Lexus. I want you to feel safe enough in my presence that you do not feel the need to hide. There is no hurry, so please, do not feel rushed. I have patience. I have lived eons, after all, and I do not mind waiting for you._

_What if I can't? _Lex asked, not looking at him.

_What if you can't what?_

_What if I can't get there? What if I can't heal or be with you or be anything that you're waiting for?_

_I have faith._

_What? _Lex asked incredulously as she turned her eyes back to him.

_I have faith. _Michael repeated as he stared into Lex's eyes. _I have faith in you. I have faith in the world and I have faith in my Father. I believe He brought us together for a purpose, for you as well as myself. I believe we have a journey before us that we will travel together. I believe we will heal each other along the way._

Lex stared back at him in shock. She knew he meant every word.

He had faith . . . .in her.

Lex's eyes filled with tears as she grabbed the back of his neck pulled him down to her. Michael knew what she wanted. He leaned forward and their lips came together, fitting perfectly. Instant heat surrounded them both as they felt the other's need. His tongue slipped into her mouth, caressing her's. All Lex could think was that he better not stop as their lips moved against each other. He gripped her body tighter to him and he thought he wasn't capable of stopping.

A picture appeared in her mind from Michael's. Her body naked and sweaty, on her stomach, underneath him. Her head was stretched up, wet hair plastered to her face, her mouth open. He was behind her, bent over her, wings fully extended out, shadowing them both. Sweat glistened on his own brow and dripped down his muscled chest as he held on to her, one arm looped below her breasts. Her head leaned to one side as he tasted the spot on her back where her shoulder met her neck. They moved together in a slow deliberate rhythm, as if they had been at it for a long time. Both of their damp faces were full of an almost painful bliss, both pair of eyes whited out. It was the most erotic image Lex had ever seen.

Heat exploded throughout Lex's body and they kissed each other more savagely. Lex fingers dug deep into his hair, nails scrapping his scalp. A low growl escaped him as he gripped her neck from behind with one hand up her back and held her face in place with his other. Michael bent her over backward like he meant to crawl deep inside her through her mouth. She felt engulfed by him, surrounded by him and everything became more urgent between them as their bodies instinctively tried to get closer.

"Ahem." A stranger's voice said quietly, interrupting them. "I'd appreciate it if you let go of my patient, Mike, before she hurts herself."

They both stopped, both breathing heavy like they had run a marathon. Lex realized, as she caught her breath, they were back in the real world. They were, in fact, in the medical tent at The Camp. It was night and the tent was full of people sleeping.

"I think you two forgot you're in the infirmary . . . and in public." Said a very good looking and very embarrassed higher angel dressed in scrubs. Michael was on his knees, leaned over her as she lay on a cot. Her fingers were still deep in his hair and his hand still gripped her neck from behind.

"I think he may be right." She whispered as their faces were still nose to nose.

"I think being right may be overrated." Michael said smiling, leaning his forehead against hers, catching his own breath.

Lex could do nothing else but laugh out loud.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Michael had to hold himself still. After hearing her laughter, he felt the overwhelming urge to kiss Lex again. He didn't care how uncomfortable that it made Samuel. He was mainly concerned about Lex's injuries.

He didn't realize that they could leave the In-between without any kind of transition. For one long moment it was if he had a foot firmly planted in each world. He had recognized reality around them but could still hear her thoughts, feel what she felt. It was intoxicating.

When she had seen them together in his mind, he had felt her lust and had lost all sense of control. It had caused him to become a mindless beast of sensation. He had attacked her. The sensations had overwhelmed his body, sent his heartbeat out of control and made it hard to take a full breath. That was totally new experience to Michael.

As he looked at her dimples, caused by the large smile on her face, he made a decision. He wanted more.

"You can let go of her now, Mike." Samuel repeated, rather impatiently, just as Michael was about to indulge himself. "I need to check for any damage you two may have caused."

As Michael began to pull away from her, she held him in place by his face.

"I'm fine." Lex said clearly as her eyes never left Michael's, warm chocolate eyes entranced him.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Sam said sarcastically. "I didn't realize you've had more years of experience treating patients than I have. Believe me, I've had a lot."

"I think we probably should listen to the doctor." Michael whispered and Lex rolled her eyes. "Besides, I do not believe he will walk away time soon."

She finally released him so that he could pull away. He stood at the foot of the bed, hands behind his back.

"Where's my son?" Lex asked. Sam knelt and lifted her shirt to examine her stomach.

"Rochelle is watching over him." Michael said, watching Samuel carefully work. "They have apparently reconciled their differences and enjoy spending time with one another. I thought it best he not spend an exorbitant amount of time here."

"Roach is a good choice. She'll take good care of him. How long have I been out?"

"Three and half days." Sam answered as he moved up to her arms. "The first two and half were drug induced. After that, we began to worry when you didn't wake up. Although, I'm been blown away on your improvement over the last twelve hours. Your wounds look weeks old rather than days."

Lex just shrugged her shoulders at Sam. She then gave Michael a meaningful look.

"Nothing to say, Miss Quiet? Alright. I going to have to remove these stitches now." Sam looked to Michael and said, too quiet for anyone to hear. "Archangel, may I suggest you find something else to do at the moment? Removing all the stitches may be unpleasant for her."

Michael stood with a cold look, arms still behind his back, looking threatening. He gave Samuel silence in return.

"There is no way to avoid the unpleasantness. It has to be done." Sam responded at normal voice. He stared back with his own icy blue eyes. "I believe the discomfort will probably bother you more than her. So as I suggested before you need to find somewhere else to go for at least a half hour. She will be fine. You have my word."

"Hon, he's right, I'll be fine. Go on." Lex said as she dismissed him, hands shooing him toward the exit. Then she repeated. "Go on."

As Michael walked out the exit, he wondered when the last time he had been dismissed so thoroughly. He supposed they were both right. He could feel anxiety creeping up on him as he was leaving, knowing that she would be in pain.

Michael walked slowly through the quiet paths of The Camp. The sky was still black, speckled with stars. He headed toward the edge of the cramped camp, where he and Aaron had set up their own tent. Silence came from inside the tent and Michael remembered Aaron was staying with Rochelle further inside The Camp. He sat in a lawn chair and stared up at the sky, admiring the number of stars. In Vega, with all the lights, the stars were harder to see. Here, they shined proudly.

Michael held himself still as he heard someone making their way close to his chair. He could see perfectly. He recognized the familiar bald man, moving slowly, to the lawn chair next to the archangel.

"Michael. How have you been?" Edward Riesen asked as he sat down. "I thought that was you that I spied hanging around the infirmary." The man was no where recognizable as General Riesen, the great leader of Vega. He looked as if he had aged twenty years in the few months since Michael had seen him last. A short white beard covered his face and he looked at least twenty pounds lighter.

"I'm going by Mike, General." Michael said indicating the camp around them.

"No General, just call me Ed. No reason to get the locals in a fit. They would have one if they knew the great General Riesen was in their midst." Riesen laughed and it quickly turned into a severe cough. "I suppose I'm not the only one they would throw a fit about."

"Do you know about Becca Thorn?" Michael asked without giving away a single emotion.

"That she is dead? Yes, I know." The General said with his own stone face. "I also heard she was killed by an archangel."

"Yes, she was."

"Her mother was a dear friend of mine. You do know that, don't you?"

"Yes, I do."

"I watched Becca grow up in the council. I knew she was involved with you. I figured it was none of my business. I had my own situation going on with Claire's mother at the time, so I decided not to judge." Riesen said calmly. "I suppose that makes her death partly my fault. I should never have let her take up studying the higher angels while being involved with you."

"You knew she was torturing my brother?" Michael asked while still staring at the stars.

"No, not exactly. When I left Vega, I knew she had examined the dead angels Gabriel had murdered. I assumed you had told me the truth, that all the higher angels were gone from Vega. I didn't know about the live one she had. I am truly sorry but the military part of me understands why she did it." Riesen paused a long moment. "Becca knew we were at war and she was fighting it the only way she knew how."

"Louis was innocent as any human. He was just a refugee. Just as all of these people are." Michael said quietly as he indicated the camp around them. "He was a good soul. I asked Becca to take care of him. He didn't deserve to be cut up like a lab animal any more than some human."

"Did you love her?" Riesen asked.

"Yes." Michael said simply. "I feel like I murdered a piece of myself. Up until recently, I did not think I would survive the pain of it."

"Welcome to life as humans live it." Riesen responded. "We humans make mistakes, sometimes deadly mistakes and we have to learn to live with them. Life carries on, in this world, whether we want it to or not."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Lex watched as the angel efficiently pulled another stitch. Her breath whistled through her teeth. "That one smarted a bit, Doc." She said quietly, amongst the people sleeping around them.

"Please, call me Sam. If it gets to be too much, let me know. I'll get you some more pain meds." He said with concern in those beautiful blue eyes.

"No more pain meds for me. I can handle it."

"You don't have to be tough all the time."

"This instance, I do. If you give me pain meds, Sam, I might 'get weird' like my son calls it." Lex spoke quietly. "You could get hurt."

"Is that what happened earlier? I had treated you for days and then suddenly Mike wouldn't allow me anywhere near you. I got very concerned. You hadn't woken up and you should have. We argued plenty over it. He wouldn't leave your side."

"It's a good thing he didn't. If I get like that again, don't touch me. You seem like a good 'person'. I hate to be the reason you had to leave The Camp."

"You know, don't you." The handsome angel said. "Your son knows, too."

"We're special. We know about you because we're special." She whispered. "That's all I can say."

"I saw a little of how special you are, earlier." Sam whispered back. "Michael waited until everyone else was asleep. He said he was going go in after you, whatever that means. He grabbed your hand and then he was on his knees in what looked like a small seizure. A moment later, you sat up and grabbed him by the neck. Both of your eyes were white. Then you two were, uh, well, pretty much, um, going at it like teenagers."

Lex laughed. "Sorry about that. I didn't know where we were."

"Obviously." Sam smirked. "This place isn't that romantic. I thought I would need a two-by-four to pry you guys apart."

Lex could feel the envy and sadness coming from the black haired angel as he pulled another stitch. She could tell this higher angel was full of kindness and it surprised her how easily she could read him. She put her hand on his shoulder and said. "You don't have to worry. My son and I will keep your secret."

"I've been here for so long, I don't know where else I would want to go. My whole life are the people of this camp." Sam said. "I envy the two of you. He doesn't have to hide his true self from you."

"I won't give you the whole story but trust me, I'm not all that functional in the romance department. Definitely not good enough for someone to envy."

"Not from what I just saw." Sam teased as he pulled another stitch. "You almost had Mike's pants romancing themselves right off, in an infirmary, no less. That sounds pretty good at romance to me."

"I didn't do all that much."

"Exactly. Imagine how crazy you could drive him if you actually put some effort into it."

"Listen to you." Lex said, smiling.

"He could use a little crazy."

"Why do you say that?"

"I've known him for many, many, many years. He has always been cold and controlled. Never have I seen him like that. They are many that would say, what I just saw, was impossible." Sam said as he used a piece of gauze to soak up a drop of blood from the last stitch on her stomach. "I'm so impressed on how well these look."

"It must be your amazing healing talents."

"Don't give me that crap. I haven't done all that much."

"Imagine what you could do when you put some effort into it." Lex said as he went to work on her arms.

"Ha, Ha. Your wit is blowing me away." Sam deadpanned as he cut several stitches. He looked at her with a smile. "I think you and I are going to get along famously."

"I think you're right." Lex couldn't help liking the angel.

"You know the moon festival is tomorrow night." He said offhand as he moved to her other arm. "I think you'll be good enough to attend."

"I didn't realize we were that close to the full moon. It's been a few years since my last festival."

"It's the main perk of living on the road." He said as he pulled the last remaining stitch. "I have been all over this land. Only at The Camp do you have a huge party once a month just because you can. Just to give the finger to the human cities and the roaming eightballs alike, daring them to interrupt. Once I discovered the moon festival tradition, I knew I would never leave."

"Aaron will be excited. He always loved them."

"You better get your dancing shoes ready, young lady." Sam said as he wiped antiseptic over her wounds. "Because your doctor just declared you have to go. After one more day of rest, of course."

"We can't go against doctor's orders, now can we?" She said smiling.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Michael looked to the rising sun in the east. Riesen had left him shortly after their conversation, stating they would meet later. Michael had remained in his chair watching the night sky for the last couple of hours. He pondered Riesen's last statement. Was he becoming more human? Learning to continue even when he thought he could not?

He was surprised at the general's reaction. Riesen had been close with Becca. Michael suspected that Riesen did not so much forgive him but was just a practical man. Michael knew Riesen was a man of constant planning, always thinking of the future, always moving the pieces across the chessboard. The archangel knew the general would have a place for him in his game.

The sun continued to make its way up, lighting up the camp. Activity slowly started around Michael and the angel found comfort in watching the people around him start their routines. There was a certain amount of relief to be found in anonymity.

"Good morning, sunshine. Don't you look comfortable." Rochelle said as she led Aaron between tents.

"Good morning." Michael turned to the boy as he rose from the lawn chair. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yep, but I'm ready to check how Mom's doing. We'd thought we stop by and grab you on the way. How is she?"

"Your mother finally woke last night." Michael said as they made their way through the crowds and camps. "The doctor said she is doing extremely well and intended to remove her stitches when I left a short time ago."

Aaron grabbed the archangel's hand as they walked together. The simple gesture surprised the angel. Michael realized the closeness felt natural, as if Aaron's tiny hand was meant to fit in his large one. As the boy looked up to him and smiled, Michael couldn't help but smile warmly back. In such a short time, this human boy owned a piece of his heart.

An older woman, in a worn red coat, stepped in their path and kneeled in front of Aaron. Michael instinctively pulled the boy behind him and he put himself in between them.

"I'm sorry, Aaron. You may not remember me but I know your mom." The woman said as she held a small foil wrapped package in her hands. Michael watched the woman with his intimidating stare. She looked up at Michael, nervously, while speaking to the boy. "Your mom helped me once."

"I remember you." Aaron said as he stepped in front of Michael. "Your name is Patty, isn't it?"

"Yes, that's right." The woman in the red coat eagerly nodded her head as she smiled. "I just wanted to make sure you're being taken care while she's hurt."

"Mike here is taking care of me." Aaron said as he indicating the angel towering over them both. Rochelle made a coughing noise behind them. "Oh and Roach, too."

"I made this for you." The woman pushed her small package at the boy. Michael intervened and grabbed the package from her to inspect it. The bundle was warm and he realized by the smell that it held fresh biscuits with honey. Michael then handed them to Aaron and the boy immediately stuffed a biscuit in his mouth.

"Thank you." The boy muffled out with a mouth full of food.

"This is very kind of you." Michael said quietly as he inclined his head.

"Oh, it was no trouble." Patty responded. "Aaron, if you could, can you mention me to your mom? Tell her I brought you the biscuits?"

Aaron nodded his head and the woman patted the boy's shoulder in obvious gratitude. She then climbed to her feet and left them. Michael watched her as she hastened away.

"Would you like me to enlighten you on what just happened here?" Rochelle said as she walked next to Michael.

"Please do." He said as he watched Aaron shove another biscuit in his mouth.

"That woman was laying the groundwork for asking Lex for a trade. She probably wants her to fight for her for some reason or another. She intends to feed them in trade and wants Aaron here to brag about how good her cooking is."

"It's really good!" Aaron said with another mouthful. He held up the foil to them. Rochelle shook her head as Michael held up his own hand warding off the biscuits.

"You should eat all that you can while they are warm, son." Michael said, intending to only try them after the boy got his fill. As the medical tent came into view, he then turned to Rochelle. "Lexus cannot fight for that woman when she is barely just recovering from her injuries."

"You'd be surprised at what good old Lex will do, pretty boy. And I bet my favorite rifle that she won't give a crap what you think." Rochelle said and then suddenly turned serious. "Has Lex prepared you for what might happen when she walks out of that tent?"

"She mentioned she might get challenged."

"There's no 'might' about it. Whispers across the camp say it will happen as soon as she walks out. Joe isn't the only one eager to see her again. If she looks weak at all, the challenges will keep coming."

"Your custom does allow for a replacement for the challenged, does it not?"

"I know what you're thinking, Romeo, but you've got to get Lex's permission to step in for her. I don't think you'll get it. Lex knows if she wins the first one or two, the challenges will stop. Everyone will remember why she was the top dog for so long."

"What are the repercussions if another individual jumps into a fight?" Michael asked. He wanted to clarify all of the rules to see if there was a way around them. He would prefer to work with in the laws of The Camp.

"Clever, but breaking the one-on-one rule can really backfire on you. You're a good fighter, without a doubt, but jumping in on her fight would open the doors for others to jump in. You can count on at least a half-dozen people who would love to gang up on her because that'd be the only way they could beat her."

"I think Mike could handle them." Aaron piped up.

"Even I have limits." Michael said as he patted the boy's shoulder. He meant limits in how many humans he could fight at once before they figured out his angelic nature.

They entered the tent and Lex was not laying on a cot, but sitting in a chair, sipping coffee. Michael watched her eyes warm as she began to smile at the sight of their group. She set her coffee down and held her arms open. Aaron immediately took off in a dead run into her arms. Her arms enveloped the boy and they both seem to relax as they embraced tightly.

"What can I do to help her?" Michael asked Rochelle quietly as they still stood in the doorway. His eyes never left the sight of Lex holding her son. He had to find a way to protect her.

"Well, Mikey boy, I'll tell you what you can do." Rochelle said quietly back and then began to grin as she twisted her fingers through her ponytail. "I can point them out to you. You can challenge them for pretty much anything. They'll be less inclined to want to fight her if they've already been beaten to a bloody pulp."

"We begin immediately." Michael whispered as Lex smiled at him from across the tent.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Lex held onto her son, relieved to see him whole. She knew he was well taken care of but the irrational side of her still worried when they were apart.

"I'm so glad to see you." She said into his neck. She dug her chin into his shoulder and smiled when he squealed at her.

"I've missed you, Mom." Aaron said laughing.

"Did Roach and Mike feed you?"

"Yep." Aaron said, nodding while he held up a foil with crumbles of what used to be food. "Well, also, a really nice lady in a red coat gave me these."

"What used to be in there?" Lex asked.

"Really freakin' good biscuits." Aaron said as he stuffed his face with the remaining crumbs. "She said I just needed to tell you Patty gave them to me."

"That was nice of her." _So it starts, already._ Lex thought. She didn't think that people would be hitting up her son while she was still in the infirmary. Well, that would stop here shortly.

"Yeah it was. I hope she makes more so you and Mike can try some."

Speaking of the archangel, he along with Roach were no longer in the doorway. They had slipped out as soon as Aaron had distracted her. Lex didn't like the odds of them not getting into trouble together.

Under the good Dr. Sam's orders, Aaron and her played cards for a bit. After an hour or so, Lex kept getting distracted in her own thoughts. Something was up. Doc Angel said Michael never left her side while she was out. Now that she was awake, he was nowhere to be found.

_No, that wasn't aggravating at all._

A lot noise came from the crowd outside the tent. Suddenly, two men burst through carrying a third man, bleeding and unconscious. Lex stood up and as she got closer she recognized the unconscious man. He was a guy she remembered fighting prior. The big brute had challenged an elderly man for his granddaughter. The granddaughter and the old man were the only ones left of their family and the young woman had no interest in the asshole. Lex couldn't stand the guy and had stepped in. To this day, she couldn't stand for bullies and that was all this guy was. The big guy look like he took a beating, though. Even lost a few teeth.

"I wonder who he pissed off." Lex said quietly to herself.

"There is more going to be on the way, Doc." Said one of the men carrying the big guy.

"What do you mean more? More like him?" Sam said as he lead them to a cot. As the doctor asked, another man was dragged in. Blood was pouring from the poor guy's broken nose. He was so weak, the man couldn't even get his feet underneath him to stand as Sam looked at him. "Is there a free for all out there?"

"Oh shit." Lex spit out. She recognized this man, too. She had fought him over his wife wanting to leave him. She could see the trend that was setting and knew exactly what Roach and Michael were up to. That damned angel was going to end up giving himself away.

"I gotta get out there." She said quickly to Sam as put on her holsters and blades. She was thankful that she damn near felt good as new because she was in for a workout.

"I don't think so, young lady." Sam said as he stepped in her way. "You are not cleared to go out there."

"Do you think you're man enough to stop me?" Lex asked quietly as she waved her fingers at the angel. She knew her threat came across clearly. The hurt look from those gorgeous blue eyes made her feel a wee bit guilty.

"Stay with Sam, bubs." She said quickly as she sidestepped another injured man coming through the doorway.

"Ahhh. I always miss the good stuff." Aaron said behind her as she made her way outside.

The sunshine was bright compared to the darkness of the medical tent. Lex headed in the direction of the noise and came upon a pretty large crowd. She started to make her way through the people and broke free of the crowd into a clear circle.

In the center was her archangel, standing intimidatingly still as a short and stocky man was bouncing from foot to foot, around him. The man had his fists held in front of his face in a boxer's style of defense. The man faked a jab to the left, Michael leaned to the right. Lex could tell Michael was forcing himself to move slower for the benefit of the crowd around them. The man pulled his right fist into a vicious uppercut. Michael easily dodged the man's right fist and then he connected with his own uppercut to man's chin with his left fist. The man's feet lifted from the dirt and he landed flat on his back. He was not getting up anytime soon.

Lex caught sight of Rochelle as she was collecting pieces of paper from the crowd around her. As she made her way toward her, Lex knew they had to be IOU's from the satisfied look on Roach's face.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Roach?" She shouted over the hoots and hollers of the crowd around them.

"What's it look like I'm doing? I'm making a killing on your boyfriend." Rochelle shouted back with a smug smile.

"This needs to stop!"

"Tell him, out there. My job is done. I just told him who to challenge and he's been going to town."

"How many more has he got to fight?" Lex asked as she watched him crack his neck and step over the man he just knocked out. He then spotted her and they locked eyes. His face turned cold and he started moving in her direction.

"I'm not sure. Some guys just started challenging Mike when they saw him fight. Um, he looks pissed." Rochelle said, indicating Michael as he got closer.

"What are you doing out here?" Michael said angrily as he grabbed her elbow. Lex jerked her arm away from him. She was not going to be manhandled by anyone, including the archangel.

"I should be asking the same question." Lex said coldly back as she jabbed a finger into the angel's chest.

"I am out here protecting you from the threats that you face and you undermine everything I am doing by leaving the infirmary."

"Here's a clue, buddy, I don't need protection."

"I told him, so." Rochelle interrupted as she was shaking her head. "I said you weren't into the whole damsel in distress thing. He just wouldn't listen."

"Shut up, Roach. I don't need your input." Lex shouted and then whipped her head back to Michael. "You are not going to fight again." She just knew he would expose himself as an angel if he continued to fight.

"I will do what I deem necessary."

Lex knew she was about to lose her cool. She grabbed a handful of his shirt to jerk him down to her when a loud voice interrupted them.

"I challenge the woman known as Lexus." A tall, lithe man shouted from the cleared circle. The crowd around them quieted so they could hear.

"For what?" Lex shouted back as she still gripped Michael's shirt. She remembered the guy, another effing bully. She vaguely remembered a fight over his ex-wife's kids. Her temper was getting the better of her. Maybe, this guy was going to give her the outlet she needed.

"You helped take away my kids. I think I could do pretty well with yours." The man said as he unbuttoned his plaid shirt, exposing a skinny but toned physique under a wife-beater tank top.

"Well, now you're making it personal." Lex said as she let go of Michael's shirt and focused on the man in the circle. Lex would not sit idly by while her son was being threatened. Michael grabbed at her elbow as she started to move in that direction.

"You can't." He simply said, with concern in those dark eyes of his.

"I can." She said as she patted his hand on her arm. Lex then pulled away from Michael. "And I will."


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Michael watched as Lex marched into the circle toward the man. He estimated the challenger had to outweigh her by at least forty pounds. The fact concerned him.

"Don't bother, lover boy." Rochelle said as she grabbed his shoulder. "You already tried to prevent it but now just accept that it's going to happen. Sit back, hope for the best, and enjoy the show."

"I will not allow her to be in danger."

"Who's saying she's in danger? Obviously, you don't know her as well as you think you do, if you're so worried." Rochelle turned him to look at her and stared him in his eyes. "Trust in her. She wouldn't do anything to part herself from her son. Trust in that."

Michael clenched his hands as he turned back toward the circle. _Trust in her. _He repeated in his mind as a mantra as he watched Lex and the man slowly circle each other.

The look in Lex's eyes was colder than Michael had ever seen them. None of the warmth Michael was used to remained anywhere on her face. As the man rolled his shoulders about, jumping from one foot to another, she just continue to circle him slowly. She reminded Michael of a cat stalking prey. The only sign of excitement was the occasional twitch of her fingers as she casually walked and stared at the man.

Michael knew the man was getting anxious as he bounced himself closer into Lex's circular path. Suddenly, the man's fist came at her. As Lex dodged the punch, she grabbed his wrist and pulled, jerking him off-balance. Then quick as lightning, jabbed her pointed fingers into the man's ribs. The man brought his elbow back toward her head, slowed by her grip on his wrist. She let go of his arm to duck under the man's elbow. The man grabbed a handful of hair on top of her head with his other hand and jerked her head to the right as he pulled back his left fist.

Michael had to hold himself perfectly still or in a split second he would be in the middle of the fight. He watched as Lex grabbed the hand in her hair and peeled it back with a pressure hold on the man's pinkie finger. At the same time, she grabbed the back of the man's neck with her other hand and pulled him close, almost like a lover, then nailed him with a headbutt to the nose. Blood exploded out the man's face. Lex immediately released both hands and pushed off the man to fall to ground and land on her back, narrowly avoiding the swing of the man's left fist.

Michael heard the man's shrill scream of pain before he noticed the knife handle sticking out of the man's foot. Lex immediately came back to her feet in a single leap from the ground. The man's scream ended sharply when Lex punched the man viciously in the adams apple, crushing his throat.

The crowd fell silent as Lex began circling the man again. The man fell to his knees and then slowly to the ground, gripping his throat. Gurgling was the only sound that broke the silence.

"Let me make something very clear to all of you." Lex shouted to the crowd as she circled the choking man, pointing at him. "Take a good look at him and realize I am not the same woman you all knew before. If any of you think to even some score, you better make damn sure it's worth dying for."

Lex paused a moment. The sound of the man choking in the dirt filled the silence. She leaned down and ripped her blade free from the man's foot. She wiped the blade on the man's pant leg as she spoke. "Because when it comes to me or mine, I _will_ kill you. I'm not playing any games, anymore. You all need to understand that there is no rule I won't break, no boundary I won't cross, no evil I won't do to protect what's mine. Now, is there anyone else who thinks they need a piece of me?"

Silence followed Lex's speech. A couple of young men stepped forward with palms up and picked up the man gurgling and bleeding on the ground, then took off into the crowd. Michael assumed they would be headed to the infirmary to try to save the man. He doubted the man could recover from a crushed windpipe.

"Holy shit." Rochelle whispered as Lex marched her way, confidently, through the crowd. Everyone backed away, giving her a wide berth. "What the hell did we just see?"

"I believe we just witnessed her kill a man." Michael said stone faced as he took off in the direction Lex headed. He turned and yelled back. "Please, go see to the boy."

"Got it. Leave it to old Roach to babysit." Rochelle said, waving him off, as she headed toward the infirmary.

Michael followed Lex as she headed out beyond the borders of the camp, into the forest. He finally caught her when they were well outside the hearing or sight of anyone else. When he reached out to her and touched her hand, she jerked away from him and kept her back to him.

"I'm fine. Go wait with Bubs. I just need a minute." Lex said quietly, still not turning to face him.

"You lie, you are not fine." Michael said to her back.

"Well, you can just add that to the list of bad shit I've done today." Lex's shoulders seem to droop with every word. As she got to the last word, she dropped to her knees. Michael watched as her shaking hands covered her face.

Michael quickly kneeled in front of her as adrenaline tremors flowed up her arms and made their way throughout the rest of her body. He gripped her wrists and pulled her into his arms. Suddenly, her body wrapped around him, her legs straddling his, her faced buried into his neck as she shook. He held her, running his hands up and down her back, as she gripped him tightly, like a lifeline.

"The shakes will be over in a minute." She gasped out as the tremors rocked her body.

"Shhhh." Michael said as he held her. "Do not fight them. Just let them run through you."

After several quiet minutes, the tremors finally subsided slowly. When her body stopped shaking and her breath became steady, she leaned back and looked anywhere but at Michael. Michael grabbed her chin and forced her to look him in the eyes.

"I'm sorry." Lex said meekly.

"Did you not tell me, once, that I had no room to judge you? Do not apologize."

"I just hate it when I have to do something like that. I feel like I lose a bit of myself every time." She said.

Michael could see the pain and shame in her eyes. Taking it away from her was all he could think about. He placed a hand on her cheek and tenderly kissed her lips. She kissed him back for a moment then leaned back. Michael watched as she searched his eyes with hers, not knowing what she was looking for.

Lex's brown eyes faded to white. Slowly, Lex's mind opened up to Michael. He could see her reasoning behind the viciousness of the battle. She meant for it to scare off all the other challengers. One death in her mind was worth preventing a whole bunch of future bloodshed.

He also saw her worry over him. She didn't want him to risk exposing himself as an angel. She worried over her son, worried over what he might inherit from her. He saw how she stressed over how to protect them both, Michael and Aaron.

"I don't need protection." Michael whispered, smiling, repeating her statement to him earlier.

Lex silently smiled back and Michael felt a wave of lust come from her. She loved to see him smile. She thought his smile was the sexiest thing about him. She thought he looked like the angel he was, only when he smiled.

He attacked her, smashing his lips against hers. Her hands gripped his neck, then ran down his back. She still straddled his lap and he knew she felt him hardening for her. Her tongue ventured into his mouth and a groan escaped him as his own hands explored her body. His thumbs ran gently across both her nipples through her shirt, back and forth causing a moan that fried any coherent thought in Michael's brain. She leaned into him and ground against the hardness between his legs. Lust exploded through both of them.

Lex urgently pulled Michael's t-shirt over his head as he yanked her shirt apart, sending buttons flying through the air. Michael tasted the delicious skin of her neck and moved down her chest to her sports bra as she yanked her own shirt off her arms. He lifted the bra over her breasts and his mouth immediately went to a nipple, suckling her. Lex leaned back, fingers gripping his hair, as heat and shivers ran through her body at the same time.

Michael had to pause for a second and gain control of himself. Feeling the sensations running through Lex, by itself, almost caused him to come, much less her body grinding against him. Breathing heavily, heart beating in his ears, he went back to the perfectly pink and hard nipple, tasting it and teasing it with his teeth. He then travelled to the one that he had neglected earlier until Lex pulled his head back by the hair and captured his mouth with her own.

"We should stop." Michael whispered into her mouth as one hand ran down her back to grip her bottom and the other went back to palm her breast. Their mind connection was causing him to lose his tenuous control. He had never felt this much sensation before and he didn't know how long he could hold back. In truth, he was actually frightened of hurting her.

"We should." Lex whispered back as her hands traveled down between them and started to unbutton his jeans. She answered his thoughts with an image. Them together, him pounding behind her, sweat dripping from their bodies, the relentless pace at which they moved. It was the same image he had sent her the night before.

The image produced the desired effect, he tackled her to the ground, all control gone. Within seconds, he had both pair of pants gone and he was poised to enter her. His head leaned into the crook of her neck, his pulse pounding as he paused.

"I do not want to hurt you." He whispered into her neck.

"Michael, please." Lex begged through gritted teeth. Michael could feel her body burning.

He dove forward, driving himself deep into her. Her body gripped him tightly, as her fingernails dug deep grooves into his back. He bit his lip to keep from coming right then. He gladly took any pain she was willing to give, knowing that he had caused her discomfort. He slowly moved in and out of her as his lungs couldn't get enough air. His shortness of breath from the effort to leash himself, every muscle screamed to pound into her.

Sweat beaded on his forehead and chest as he felt fire burning through their bodies. Lex gripped his shoulder with one hand and another tangled in his hair. Her legs wrapped around his torso, urging him on. He watched sweat drip its way down between her breasts and leaned down to taste the sweetness as his slow pace tortured them both.

Her pleasure mixed with his own pushed him to quicken his pace. He pushed himself up with one arm, the other gripping her thigh, as he really did start to pound into her. Michael's pace drove her crazy, every muscle tightened with every long stroke. Lex felt his thrusts all the way through her bones and just as she thought she couldn't take much more, an explosion erupted throughout her body, totally taking them both by surprise. Her orgasm, not only ripped through her body, but Michael's body as well through their minds connection. It caused his own explosion as he pounded into her one last time, hard, trying to get as deep as possible, filling her up.

He finally collapsed on top of her. Tremors ran through his body and he tried to catch his breath. Lex's chest rose and fell underneath him as she tried to slow her own breathing. When he at last had some control over his limbs, he leaned on his elbows to look down on her. Lex's face was flushed in her afterglow, sweat beaded on her forehead causing her hair to stick to her face. She smiled up at him, dimples showing as her eyes faded back to their warm chocolate. She was beautiful.

"That was insane." She said quietly. "I didn't know it could be like that."

"Neither did I." He said with his own smile. "That _was _insane."

They both started to laugh.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Lex admired Michael's face as they laughed together, his weight comfortably on top of her. His face totally changed when the angel laughed. His large smile reached his dark eyes and changed them. He looked too gorgeous to be from anywhere but heaven. Her hand reached up to brush his hair out of her view of his eyes. The moment felt so perfect, she could feel tears threatening.

He looked at her, concern taking that beautiful smile away. "Are you alright?"

"I quite perfect, actually." Lex said as her vision blurred. She could feel the tears running down the side of her face though she still smiled. She waved her hand dismissively. "Don't mind me while I act like a ninny."

Michael leaned down and kissed both her eyes then tenderly kissed her lips. Her arms wound around his neck as he held her. Her tears fell unbridled, now.

"I'm sorry. I'm being stupid but I just can't help it." Lex whispered as leaned her forehead against his. "I just never thought I could have anything like this."

"You take my breath away, Lexus." He said simply as he caught a tear with his thumb. "I have lived eons and never have I met a stronger person. I am honored that you chose me to share this part of yourself with."

"Now you're just going to make me cry more." Lex said in a half laugh.

Michael immediately caught her mouth in a passionate kiss. His tongue leisurely explored her mouth, taking all coherent thoughts away from her. She turned her head, pulling briefly away to catch her breath. His mouth made it's way down her throat.

"Feel like crying now?" He whispered as her pulse started to pound.

"No, I don't believe I do." She couldn't help but laugh again. "As much as I hate to interrupt what you're doing but I think we need to get back."

Michael responded by sucking on the spot where her shoulder met her neck, driving her insane.

"Please, Michael." She pleaded, knowing she was melting already. He pulled away from her causing a bit of disappointment, even though she had asked him to. She could feel his disappointment as well. "I am sorry but I need to go check on Aaron and apologize to Sam. I kind of hurt his feelings, earlier."

"Part of me is pleased to hear you treat a brother with such respect. It is rare for a human to treat angels no different than other humans." Michael said as he helped her off the ground and handed over her shirt and pants. She started to dress. Lex then noticed her maroon shirt was missing every button and torn in a spot or two. She couldn't help but smile. She threw it to the ground as Michael handed her his own t-shirt with a grin of his own. It fell well past her hips but would work.

"Only part of you?" Lex asked as she watched him slip his own pants on.

"Another part of me just wants to hurt him."

A laugh exploded out of Lex as she strapped her holsters back on. She just couldn't help it. Her own laugh caused a larger smile on Michael's face. "And why would you want to hurt poor Sam?"

"He is simply too pretty." Michael said. Lex could feel the mirth rolling off of him. "He needs to point those looks at someone other than yourself."

"He is pretty." Lex said nodding, then laughed again at the look the angel gave her. She leaned her head against his bare chest, placing her palms against him as she inhaled. She savored the wood and rain scent that was all Michael. "But he's no archangel. Don't worry, I need more than just pretty."

"Tell me, what do you need?" Michael asked, voice deepening, as his hands ventured to rest on her hips. She could feel the warmth of his hands through her clothes and the wave of lust coming from the angel almost knocked her over. She looked up and saw those beautiful dark eyes filled with fire.

"I need strength." She said. Michael easily picked her up off the ground and leaned her against a tree as her legs gripped him around his waist.

"What else do you need?" He whispered into her ear as he rolled their hips together.

"I need passion." She whispered back. He immediately kissed her roughly, gripping her head to hold her still. He took over her mouth and she was helpless, totally surrounded by him. By the time he stopped she couldn't hardly breath.

"What else?" He asked, breathing heavily himself as he leaned his forehead against hers. "Wait. Do not answer that or we will never be able to leave these woods."

He slowly unwrapped her legs from him and pulled painfully away from her. She had to hold onto the tree behind her because her legs weren't all that steady.

"Right, and why did we need to leave again?" She asked as she leaned against the tree. Michael chuckled at her joke and held his hand out to her. She took it and they walked slowly back.

"I believe you were the one who said we needed to head back."

"I believe we need to find you a shirt before we do anything. Otherwise, I'll have to beat the women off you." Lex said, patting a palm on his bare chest.

"I have a shirt. You just happen to be wearing it." He replied. "I think you are the one in need of a shirt."

"I had a shirt. Someone tore it off me."

"Someone feels horrible about that." He said.

"Someone doesn't sound very sincere."

"Someone is not very sincere. Someone had too good of a time tearing it off of you." He said as he pulled her in close, under his arm as they walked. He then whispered. "Besides, you look delicious in that shirt. I wish it was the only thing you were wearing."

Lex could feel her face warm from blushing as they made their way through the edge of camp. Michael rubbed her back and stepped away from her so that they walked separately. She could feel the regret Michael felt parting from her. Lex stepped back closer and grabbed Michael's hand.

"You cannot be seen this close to me." He whispered as he looked at their hands. He then kissed her palm and stepped away from her. "What if I am discovered?"

"What if you are discovered?" Lex asked as she took another step closer. She felt like she was chasing the big bad archangel and he was running from her. The thought struck her funny.

"You cannot smile at me like that in public, either." He said as a smile crept into his eyes.

"Why can't I?" Lex asked while running her fingertips across his bare torso. "You seem to be under the impression that I give a rat's ass what other people think. Let me correct you on that notion." She clasped his face with both hands. "If you're discovered then we leave, the three of us. It's that simple."

"I thought you were happy here."

"I am happier with you. The only person who means more to me is my son. Like I said, it's that simple. There's no reason to hide what's going on between us. Besides, I have to be able to scare off the women that are obsessing over you."

Michael's eyebrow arched. "Obsessing?"

"Yes, obsessing. Trust me, they are. I might snap if I had to stand back and watch you get propositioned."

"You would have nothing to worry about." He said in a serious tone.

"Oh, I know I won't have to worry about it." She said matter-of-factly as she walked away from him, deeper into camp. She called back to him. "After my little show earlier, no one will be crazy enough to try to horn in on what's mine."

In a split second, she felt his arm around her waist again as they walked.

"Yours?" He asked as he looked down at her.

"Mine."


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

As they walked together, Michael tightened his grip around Lex's waist. He still was not sure that it was wise to make their relationship public. If he was exposed as an angel, she would be ostracized by the rest of The Camp. She and the boy would never be able to return. It surprised Michael that she did not seem concerned at all.

A public relationship would be a completely new concept. In Vega, his previous affairs were always held privately to protect the woman's reputation. His longest relationship was with Becca and they had to keep quiet because of the politics involved.

Michael was coming to realize that nothing about his relationship with Lexus would be comparable to his earlier experience. Never before had he felt so much sensation as with Lexus. Their connection allowed him to feel as a human would and it had overwhelmed him. The previous nights he had spent with other human women had never affected him that way. He had always been in control of how his corporeal form reacted, but not with Lex. With her, he barely had any control at all.

Michael wondered if this habitual lack of control was what it was to be human, to be led around by their bodies instead of their minds. Though, Michael would have to admit, hearing her call him her's pleased him to no end. The simple possessive word made him _want_ to be led around by his body, not to mention the enticing sway of her hips as she walked. She was a drug he may never be able to break away from.

As they approached their camp Michael had set up, he realized they had company. Rochelle, Aaron and a few other boys were kicking around a white and black ball. Rochelle heard them approach and turned toward them. Whatever she was about to say seem to stall with her mouth open when she saw the two of them. Her mouth stood open for a moment and then turned into a large knowing smile, just as the ball came up and bounced off the side of her head. After the ball hit her, she didn't even turn to see which boy who had kicked it.

"Hey, Mikey. Where did your shirt go?" She asked, still smiling as she followed them toward their tent, leaving Aaron to play with the other boys. She then looked over at Lex with feigned surprise. "Oh look. There it is. Lex has it."

"Shut up, Roach." Lex mumbled as she got her bag out of the back of the suv parked next to the tent. Michael decided to let Lex handle her friend. He was coming to like Rochelle, even with her obnoxious ways.

"That leaves the mystery of where your shirt is, Miss Lexus." Rochelle continued on, never acknowledging Lex spoke. "I wonder what happened to it?"

"Shut up, Roach." Lex said a little louder.

"Did it get up and walk off on it's own?"

"Shut up." Lex repeated as she unzipped the door to the tent.

"No, I don't think it could have walked off. Did it get pulled off?" She said as she tried to follow Lex into the tent. Lex stopped in the doorway and turned on Rochelle.

"Shut up." Lex said again quietly, a clear threat being issued.

"Jees, Lex. Don't be so sensitive. I wasn't judging. It's not like you had a bloody fight that almost killed a guy as foreplay." Rochelle said. "Oh wait, you did. So maybe I am a wee bit judgy."

"Shut up." Lex shouted with finality as she zipped the tent in front of Rochelle, ending the conversation. Rochelle then turned to Michael and walked in close.

"Good job, handsome. She deserves some happy. Hurt my friend in any way and I'll slice your throat from ear to ear." She whispered with the large smile never leaving her face. She then patted him on his bare shoulder then she went back to the boys playing. Michael held no doubt that Rochelle meant every word, which endeared her to him even more.

Lex eventually unzipped the tent and emerged in new clothing. Her well-worn jeans with black leather blade holsters crisscrossing the legs were a sexy sight to behold. A purple tank top exposed her elegant neck and a small peak of her cleavage. She was in the process of pulling on a white button up shirt that Michael felt the urge to jerk it back off of her. She looked into his eyes with a knowing smile on her face and he figured she could sense his need. She handed him his shirt and silently strutted away. He slipped on his own shirt and admired her backside as he followed her.

For several minutes, they watched as Rochelle played with all the boys, including Aaron. She had them all laughing as she rough housed with each and every one of the children. Michael noticed Rochelle was a natural at making every child feel welcome and included in the game.

"This is good for him." Lex said quietly. "Playing with other children. He acts like he doesn't miss this but he does."

"We should reavulate whether to be public in our affection for each other. If he wishes to stay here, we should not take unnecessary risks."

"That's not what I was implying. I was thinking if we have to leave here then we should try out New Delphi. There are other kids for him to be around and we're strong enough to carve out a section for ourselves. What do you think?"

Michael realized she was including himself in her future plans. As if it were a given that they would be together. He, in fact, couldn't see a future without the two of them in it. "I believe New Delphi is an option."

"Vega is out and so is Helena because of both our histories. It's either New Delphi or back to the east coast. We'll be alone but it's a lot less dangerous than hanging out willy nilly in the Cradle. Well, really before we think about where we might go next, you're going to have to think about Colorado." She whispered, surprising him.

"What about Colorado? I have no wish to have my brother rub my nose in my most recent failures."

"What about the Chosen One?" She asked.

"What about him?"

"He still needs you."

"You and I differ on that opinion. He no longer trusts me and has every reason not to. My perspective has changed since I met you. Alex may very well be better off without me. I have other responsibilities now."

"You forget I have unique perspective. You _will_ eventually go to them." She said as she continued to watch Aaron kick the ball around Rochelle and the other boys. "I just don't know the why or the when. I just know that you will."

Michael wasn't sure but he thought he caught a hint of fear in her voice. "Do you know something you are not sharing?"

"My vision of you didn't give me many details other than you end up in Gabriel's aerie. I haven't seen it since I found you and that worries me. Generally, they're on repeat until they happen."

"Maybe the future has changed and that is why you have not seen it?"

"Maybe." She replied quietly as she bit her lip. She didn't sound very convinced to Michael.


	30. Chapter 30

**Author's Note: If you'd like to hear the same music that the gang is, the Moon Festival songs are in this order when the music starts. ****Right Round by Flo Rida, **Come With Me Now by Congos, Sail by AWOLNATION.

Chapter 30

Lex worried her lip for a few more moments before forcing a smile on her face. She didn't believe the future the In-between had shown her had changed, not even for a second. It never changed. Michael would end up in Colorado whether he wanted to or not.

What worried her was the simple lack of visions of Michael period since she had met up with him. For months, she had watched his life play out and now nothing. She wondered if that meant something happens to him at the aerie. Fear threatened to grip her. Lex spent several minutes stamping it down. She had to be rational about this. If something was going to happen to Michael, the In-between would have shown her. She hoped it would, anyway.

"Are you sure there is nothing I should know?" Michael asked as his palm came to rest at her lower back.

"I'm sure." Lex replied and her smile felt more genuine as she felt the warmth of his hand on her back. She then noticed Aaron watching them and she waved him over. Rochelle followed the boy as he headed in her direction.

"Bubs, did you know that tonight is the full moon?" Lex asked as they approached.

"Moon Festival? Tonight?" He asked. "Cool!"

"Yep. I figured you'd like that." Lex said as she ruffled the boy's hair and put her arm around his shoulder. Lex headed back toward the infirmary tent with Aaron in tow. She still had an apology to still give. Rochelle and Michael followed.

"What is the Moon Festival?" Michael asked as they walked down the open path.

"Only the best party in or out of the Cradle." Rochelle answered. "It's tradition. You'd better pace yourself tonight, pretty boy. Vega doesn't know how to party like The Camp. We wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."

"What is the point in celebrating the full moon?" He responded.

"We're not celebrating the full moon." Rochelle clapped her hands. "Years ago, when The Camp first started coming together, survival was everyone's top priority and it was hard to see past the right now with eightballs attacking, everyday. Our leaders, back then, saw how desperate the people were getting. They decided to hell with it and had a party. From what I hear, it was a loud and obnoxious affair that caused every eightball in the area to attack. Once morning came and the bodies of both sides were burnt, there was calm for several weeks afterwards. They figured out the party announced our arrival and every angel that would attack, did. After that, everything else out there just left us alone. So we've had a party every full moon since, no matter what, the louder the better."

"Sounds like a foolish way to die by an angel attack." Michael scoffed.

"If you can't live, then what's the point in surviving?" Rochelle scoffed back. "You've just survived behind the walls in Vega. Out here, you really get to live. Besides, you can't judge till after the party."

Lex was thankful that the medical tent came into view. Their argument reminded Lex that there were some things the archangel would never be able to understand about human nature. "I'll meet up with you guys at the party. I have something to take care of."

"I'll take care of 'em." Rochelle said as she led Michael and Aaron off.

Lex approached the doorway of the tent just as Sam burst out. He grabbed her elbow and walked her away from the tent. What was with angels trying to manhandle her? Because she was there to apologize, she didn't fight him. Those piercing blue eyes stared at her angrily.

"If you're going to attempt to kill anyone else, you and I are going to have a problem and I don't care what your little magic powers do to me." Samuel whispered, clearly agitated.

"Whoa, that was just a one time deal. I had to make a statement to protect myself and my son."

"Well, your statement barely survived the three-hour surgery to reconstruct his larynx. He probably won't have to breath through a hole in his chest for the rest of his life."

"He threatened my son and I did what I had to." Lex said, trying to control her temper. "I came to apologize to you for threatening to expose you. I won't apologize for the poor schmuck who bit off more than he could chew. Don't think for a second that he wouldn't have beat me to death. He challenged me because he thought I was injured and would be easy to beat. I had to show him and everyone else that wasn't the case."

"I believe you made your point." He said. "Everyone is talking about it."

"Good. Are they talking about Michael?" She asked.

"I don't think you have to worry. The new guy is hardly a blip on the radar since your little show."

"He is another reason I had to end the fighting. You and I both know he would have eventually exposed himself."

"He ordered me to keep you in the infirmary." He said quietly. "Your apology is appreciated but he can't be happy with me."

"Don't worry about him." Lex said as she cleared her throat. She could feel her cheeks warming of their own accord as she thought about her torn shirt discarded in the woods. "It all turned out alright."

"Are you sure? He's isn't known to be the forgiving type when it comes to other angels. He's more like the 'hunt you to the ends of the earth and smite you' type."

"Trust me on this, I'll make sure you're in the clear."

"Alright, but if I'm not, I just ask for a little warning so that I may have half a chance at the 'ends of the earth' thing." Sam joked as his face lit up with a beautiful smile. Lex was reminded how perfect his face really was.

"You got it." She smiled back. Her heart felt lighter knowing things were alright with her and the higher angel. She could feel his good soul and the love he felt for the people around him, even herself. She made a promise to herself mentally that she would look after him. "Are you busy right now, Doc?"

"Not particularly."

"Then you should escort me to the festival." Lex said as she grabbed his arm.

"It would be my pleasure." He said as he patted her hand in the crook of his elbow.

There was no mistaking where the party would be held. People were already gathering in the clearing where the fights had taken place earlier in the day. Lex could hear a generator spitting and sputtering as it was started for the two giant speakers that were set underneath a canopy. Music immediately started blaring, tearing apart the quiet that was the norm for every human outside The Cradle. She could feel the bass through her bones as she looked for her crew through the crowd that had immediately started dancing. Children and adults alike jumped around at random to the beat as the sun started to make its way down.

Lex finally found Rochelle and Aaron in the middle of the crowd. Her son was showing off his dance moves as Rochelle danced right along with him. Roach handed her a flask and insisted Lex take a drink. She just took a small nip and choked, the concoction was so strong. Sam laughed along with Roach as she smoothly took a swallow of her own flask and handed it to him.

As the Lex felt the familiar burn fall down to her belly, it was difficult to keep the excitement and joy of the party at bay as the darkness seem to surround them. The beat seem to be contagious as her hips started to sway along with the bass. She raised her arms as her body moved on its accord through the beats. She jumped along with Aaron and the rest of the crowd.

She could feel sweat bead on her forehead and behind her neck as she bounced around. Her heart beat picked up as the song pounded on and her lungs beat against her chest. As she watched Aaron, Rochelle and Samuel dance wildly, Lex couldn't help but miss this part of living in The Camp. She peeled off her button up shirt and shoved it haphazardly through her belt. She continued to dance in just her tank top, enjoying the cool night air on her bare shoulders.

Then, she felt a familiar set of large hands land on her hips as she danced. No words were said between them, but there was no mistaking his intentions. As she leaned back against a hard chest, his hands lightly squeezed her hips causing her to slow her swaying. Then, they were swaying together slowly, opposite of the fast beat of the music, though the pounding in her chest didn't slow.

How was she supposed to function around him? Sex seemed to be the only thing she could think about when she was around him. She reached behind her and her arm wrapped around his neck as her fingers dug into his hair. She could feel his lust ratcheting up along with her own as they moved together. His breath ran along her bare neck, causing shivers to run down her spine. His hand moved underneath her tank top and splayed out on her stomach, as the bouncing bodies around them seem to close in on them.

Just when Lex had decided that she was going to take Michael someplace more secluded, something peaked at her consciousness. She fully intended to ignore the feeling as she stepped away from the archangel to turn to face him. The feeling suddenly turned into a punch in the gut as she fell to her knees, stealing her breath entirely. Angels were coming, a lot of them, an army of them. She didn't feel any fear from them, this time. All she felt was confidence rolling off the army of eightballs because of the higher angels that were leading them.

Bodies continued to bounce around them and Michael's face came into her view as he knelt in front of her. She felt his hands holding her neck and his face was in full-blown concern mode.

"What?!" He shouted in her face, over the music.

"They're here." She mouthed silently back at him. The concern covering his face molded into confusion.

"Who?" Michael mouthed back as the beat of the music started quieting down for a song change.

Lex did the only thing she could think of and pulled her gun from her holster as she got to her feet. She started firing rounds into the air above the crowd causing the music to end abruptly as she continued to unload the entire clip.


End file.
